


In Time, Out of Place

by SeegerBean



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dimension Travel, Gen, Mild Language, Old Friends, Pre-Steven Universe Future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-01-06 04:48:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 25,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21220835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeegerBean/pseuds/SeegerBean
Summary: After a night at the barn, Steven wakes up to find himself somewhere very familiar, yet so very different.





	1. Chapter 1

"Peridot! Lapis!"

Steven burst from his father's van, racing towards the barn, nearly stumbling as he went. When he did eventually tumble, it was with a giggle as his mood kept him afloat until he landed on top of the barn, where his friends were waiting for him.

"Not bad. Maybe you'll be able to race me soon." Lapis grinned and flapped her wings, showing off for the two shorties next to her. Peridot rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her smile.

"Ready for the bestest, most amazing sleep-over ever?" Steven shouted, his excitement threatening to literally carry him away. Peridot responded with a hoot and a holler, and Lapis simply gave him a low-five.

With how busy the Crystal Gems had been the last few weeks, Greg had suggested giving Steven a night off. Garnet had approved, so Pearl and Amethyst naturally agreed. A quick videocall with Peridot and Lapis (who, this time, did not try to smash the computer), and the date was set. Finally, a night away from weirdness.

Steven felt almost warm with relaxation as he settled into the couch next to Lapis and Peridot, Pumpkin quickly jumping up to join them. He still preferred Crying Breakfast Friends to Camp Pining Hearts, but it made them happy, which made him happy.

"So what did you want to do tonight?" Peridot asked. She looked at him brightly, a tin can floating next to her head, a minor attempt to one-up Lapis.

"Honestly? Maybe we could make some meep-morps."

"Yessss!" Peridot's eyes only got brighter, and she beamed up at her barnmate. Pumpkin made a small sound, and the three laughed at the plant's antics. Steven couldn't remember the last time he felt so calm. He didn't even have to worry about the Gems -- Garnet had assured everyone that tonight, nothing was going to happen. He could breathe freely.

Exhaustion quickly took over, however, and Steven was asleep by the end of the third episode. No meep-morps for him that night.

Light hit Steven's face at an angle, and he fluttered his eyes open, his sleepiness immediately batted aside in favor of shock. When had Peridot and Lapis redone the roof? Instead of the familiar rafters, the ceiling was now an off-white color, with a few sunken lights. No, this couldn't be the barn, it was too small. He stood up slowly, barely processing that the couch he got up from was new.

This was definitely not the barn. He was in a small living room, connected by a hallway to an even smaller kitchen and what looked to be a bedroom, although he couldn't be sure as the door was closed. On the walls were a few abstract paintings, and there was a sculpture in the corner of a baseball bat. It looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. Across the room were some curtains, still closed from the night before. Steven padded over gently, pushing them aside to look outside. He was greeted by the sight of a courtyard, with a few people milling about below, in various stages of readiness. A short woman in a pantsuit was talking on her phone furiously, shoving past another woman who was wearing a scarlet red hijab. Who were these people? Steven had never seen them before in his life.

"Hey, you're up," rang Lapis' dry voice from behind him.

"Yeah, but where --" Steven froze, staring at the woman in front of him.

She certainly _looked_ like Lapis. Her hair was blue, and she was wearing her sundress. Her face also looked just like hers, with the same pointy chin and almost elvish nose. But this wasn't Lapis. For one thing, her hair had been dyed; he could see the black roots. Instead of blue, her skin was tan. He didn't have to look to know that she had no gemstone. She was a human.

"Who are you?"

The woman gave him a truly offended look. "Wow, Steven. I know you're not a morning person, but geez." It was only when she rolled her eyes and tossed her head that Steven noticed the small blue teardrop necklace around her neck.

"Lapis?"

The woman's offense melted into a concerned look. "Yeah, you know me. Are you okay? Did you fall off the couch and hit your head or anything?" She motioned him over, and he dumbly obeyed. Lapis (if that was who she was) looked him in the eye, frowning slightly. "Well, your eyes look okay. Do you have a headache?"

"No, but --"

"Here, let me get Peridot to look, maybe I'm missing something. Peridot! Come here, Steven's acting funny."

With a bit of a grumbling sound, a very sleepy woman appeared from hallway, wearing green pajamas with little aliens all over them. Again, she looked remarkably like her namesake: short, with thick glasses across her face, and poofy blonde hair. And again, it couldn't be her, because _Peridot was an alien from outer space_.

"What's wrong?" It was Peridot's voice that came from her doppelganger, just like it was Lapis' voice that came from the taller woman.

"He didn't recognize me when he woke up this morning."

Peridot rubbed her eyes. "Did he hit his head?"

"I don't think so, but I wanted you to look at his eyes and double check."

"Okay, hon." She looked at Steven intensely, not having to bend over like Lapis. Even here, she was part of the shorty squad. "No, I'm not seeing it either. Steven, are you feeling okay?"

The boy stammered, looking back and forth at the strangers in front of him. What was going on? Maybe he was dreaming; didn't he once see Garnet as a human in a dream once? That must be it! Without warning, he pinched himself, startling the two women when he yelped in pain.

"Steven! Seriously, you're starting to weird me out." Lapis took his hand and gently led him back to the couch. "Seriously, tell us what's up."

"I-I-I don't know! Last night I was at the barn, and this morning I'm here, and you guys are here but you're not you guys, and, and . . ." Steven took a deep breath, very aware that he was about to start hyperventilating.

"Well, yeah, you came over last night to take a break." Peridot looked at him with confusion. "Your dad figured that school had been bogging you down, and your aunts agreed, so we volunteered to watch you for the night. Some night though, you fell asleep before we could even do any painting," she teased.

Steven's eyes only widened as he listened to Peridot's account. lt was so close to the truth, yet . . .

Wait. His dad. Was he still the same? His aunts? Did she mean the Gems? He had school??

Steven let out a bit of a groan, still horribly confused. "Can you guys take me home? I don't feel great."

"Yeah, of course. Hon, did you remember to refill the car last night?" Lapis stood up, pulling on a jacket as she spoke to Peridot.

"You know it. Want me to drive?"

"Please. Steven, do you need any help grabbing anything?"

"No, it's okay. Thank you . . . Lapis." The name rolled off his tongue awkwardly, and he could see even more concern on the woman's face. He wasn't ready yet to think of them as Lapis and Peridot, but they certainly acted like his friends. The concern they showed for him was real, certainly. Strangely enough, that idea provided some comfort. If nothing else, he could at least consider himself safe with these people. His backpack was ready to go quickly enough, and he was ushered down the stairs and into a junky little car that seemed weirdly perfect for Lapis and Peridot.

The drive home was silent as Steven stared out the window. It looked almost like home. He could smell the sea air soon enough, and Beach City was soon in view. Or rather, something very like Beach City. The houses were a little nicer, and there were more of them. As they approached the boardwalk, he could see Beach City Funland. It was broken down here too, which made him smile.

Steven's smile vanished as they pulled into a driveway, Peridot's voice barely audible to him as she announced their arrival. In front of him was the cliff he had grown up under, and the house underneath it looked almost exactly the same. The temple itself, though, was completely gone. The cliff's face was smooth, and even from the car, Steven could see that the house wasn't built into the face like his home was.

Lapis honked the horn, and the door swung open to reveal Greg. Steven sighed a deep sigh of relief. He looked exactly the same, if not a bit happier, even. Instead of the usual tank top, however, he was wearing a black t-shirt. After everything else that morning, it was a detail he was willing to overlook.

Ignoring Lapis and Peridot, Steven jumped out of the car, racing up the stairs to hug his dad.

"Hey Stuball! Everything okay? Lapis called and said you were acting a little funny this morning."

"Yeah Dad, it's just been weird, and everything seems so different." Steven was a little embarrassed to hear the catch in his throat.

"Different?" His dad patted his head gently. "Steven, what's wrong? Is school really bugging you that much?"

Before he could answer, the screen door opened behind Greg, and suddenly Steven couldn't breathe. A woman stood behind him, watching them with worry in her eyes. She stood a good head taller than his dad, and her dyed pink hair fell down to her shoulders. Before she opened her mouth, Steven knew what voice he would hear; how many times had he heard her voice on his television, telling him that there was no way they could co-exist?

"Is everything alright?" his mother, Rose Quartz, asked, and Steven could feel the ground shift under his feet.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing Steven saw when his eyes opened was his ceiling, and he grinned. He was home. Everything was fine. Nothing had actually happened. His smile faded, however, as he remembered that he was supposed to be at the barn with Lapis and Peridot. What had happened? He had woken up somewhere else entirely, then had been taken home, seen his mom and--

“Oh, thank goodness, you’re awake!” Steven craned his head to see his mom and dad huddled next to the couch, looking down at him with concern. “Lapis and Peridot told us that you had been acting strange all morning, and you just passed out when you got home.”

Steven couldn’t find the right words. His mom and dad were standing arm in arm, and he noticed they both had wedding bands. Rose looked remarkably like the version he knew, except that she was wearing a pink t-shirt and jeans. Gone were the flowing dresses, apparently. He saw that his silence was only making them worry, so he did the only thing he could reasonably process. Steven sat up and pulled them both into a hug, dimly aware that tears were running down his cheek.

“Stuball, do you need to go to a doctor?” Greg’s voice was quiet, and he could feel his mom’s hand on his back. 

“No, no, really.” Steven was a little embarrassed to hear his voice crack. “I’m just a little hungry.”

Rose’s eyes sparkled as she clapped her hands. “How about a Together Breakfast?” Before the boys could react, she was in the kitchen, fetching eggs and flour for waffles.

“Seriously,” Greg whispered, pulling Steven into another hug, “I can take you to a doctor if you need it. You’ve scared everyone this morning.”

Everyone. “Wait. Where’s Garnet and Pearl, and Amethyst?”

Apparently, Steven said the wrong thing, because Rose whipped around, a funny look on her face. “Garnet and Amethyst are at their apartment, we gave them a call this morning. They’ll be by later this afternoon.” When Steven didn’t ask about Pearl, her face lightened and she turned back to her waffles. Greg wore a similar expression, and Steven decided not to press that issue anymore. Still, there were some things to figure out before he opened his mouth again.

“Hey Dad, can I go to my room real quick? I’m just going to lie down real quick before breakfast.” Greg nodded, and Steven went up to his room, now properly blocked off with a wall and a door. 

His room looked almost exactly the same, down to the little shells and sticks that lined his shelves. He had his TV, and all the video games were the same. Small comforts. His backpack had been put on his bed, and it took a few seconds for him to grab his phone. He couldn’t help but smile a little bit at his wallpaper: what had been a picture of him and Lion was now a picture of him holding a rather large tomcat. His smile thinned as he stared at the picture of himself. Was that really him? If he existed here, then where was the him that belonged? Maybe he was back home, confusing the gems with his surprise at their alien nature. No matter where he was, he was worrying someone. 

Almost all of his contacts were there. Lars still had three numbers, and he apparently hadn’t added Lion as a contact in this world (timeline? dimension?). He let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding when he saw Connie’s number in his phone. Steven decided to look at his photos for some clues.

The most frequent photos were ones of him with his dad or Rose, generally laughing and having a great time. Rose and Steven on the boardwalk. Greg and Steven playing skeeball. Rose and Greg waving to the camera, Steven presumably the one taking the photo. It was strange, seeing his dad and Rose interact. The most he had ever seen of it until now was the grainy VHS his mom had left him. Here, it was an everyday occurrence. There had been no sacrifice, no great choice to make. His mom was normal, and so was he.

With a sudden bolt, he lifted up his shirt, staring at his gem. Or rather, where his gem should have been. Steven swallowed thickly as he stared at his navel, a strange sense of loss encompassing him. At least he didn’t have to worry about explaining it to anyone. He turned his attention back to his phone, pushing past the lump in his throat.

To his surprise, there weren’t many pictures with Connie. A selfie here or there, but nothing like his phone back home had held. Maybe this Connie just didn’t like photos? A few more swipes revealed this world’s Garnet and Amethyst, a sight he was more prepared for. Steven was surprised by how much they looked like they had appeared in his dream, Garnet especially so.

His musing was interrupted by an incoming call from Peridot, which he quickly answered.

“Hello?”

“Oh, stars, you’re okay! You just passed out, and Greg and Rose sent us home and said they’d keep us posted, which they did  _ not _ do! Unbelievable!”

Steven giggled a little. He could see his Peridot saying the exact same thing. “I’m fine Peridot, Mom’s making us a together breakfast. I’ll tell them to call you later.”

“Don’t worry about it, I just wanted  _ something _ so Lapis would stop pacing. How are you feeling?”

“Better, thanks. Garnet and Amethyst are supposed to stop by later today.”

“Oh great! Tell them I said hey!”

Steven looked over at his door, hoping no one was near it. “Hey, Peridot, don’t freak out, but my memory is still fuzzy.” Was that a lie? Technically, yes. But it was the closest thing to a truth he had.

“Okayyy,” she responded, obviously still worried.

“It’s fine, but I might ask you to fill me in from time to time. Is that okay?”

“I don’t know, Steven. If your memory is still that bad, maybe you need to see someone.”

“No!” He could already see how well that would go, telling some poor psychologist that he had come from a world of aliens. “No, not yet. If I really think I need it, I promise I’ll go, okay?”

There was a grumbling sound for a few seconds. “Fine. But I’m holding you to that.”

“Thanks, Peridot. Which leads me to my first question.”

“Fire away.”

“What’s up with Pearl?”

There was a hissing noise that Steven recognized as someone pulling air through their teeth. “Eesh, I thought you meant addresses or something like that. Um, long story short, Pearl just kinda disappeared after you were born. I never even met her, I’ve just heard about her from Amethyst when she drinks too much.”

“What? Why did she vanish?” Steven felt his gorge rise. Why would Pearl abandon them like that?

“. . . Steven, that’s a question I’m not qualified to answer. You’d be better off asking Amethyst or Garnet if you’re really that curious. Where did you even hear about her? No one talks about her anymore except for, again, drunk Amethyst.”

That explained the look from Rose. “I just overheard it and was curious. Thanks.”

“Alright. You’re sure you’re okay? I need an honest answer for Lapis.”

“I’m doing better. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Alrighty. Love you, dude.”

“Love you too, Peridot.” He didn’t even think about the words. If he ever got back home, that was definitely something he was going to start saying.

There was a knock on the door as Steven put his phone in his pocket. He opened the door to reveal Rose, grinning like a kid. “Ready for Together Breakfast?”

She seemed more excited about it than he would get. “Sure thing, waffles sound good.” Now that the shock of his surroundings had begun to slowly wear off, acting normal felt, well, normal. It almost felt like one of the improv productions he would occasionally join Jamie in at home. His role was himself, almost.

Greg was waiting at the table, barely restraining himself from devouring the waffles in front of him. In true Together Breakfast fashion, they were coated in syrup and whipped cream, with a handful of popcorn and a strawberry on top for good measure. Steven and Rose sat down on either side of Greg and, with a quick glance at each other, devoured the meal in seemingly seconds. Steven made a thumbs-up at his mom; the waffles from scratch elevated it to the next level.

The family sat in contented silence, each sitting with eyes closed and a peaceful smile. Such was the power of Together Breakfast.

After they came back to the land of the living, Rose clapped a hand on the table, pulling everyone’s attention to her. “Steven, how are you feeling?”

“After that breakfast? Amazing.” Probably the only not half-shielded statement he had made all morning.

“Well, you’re supposed to go back to school tomorrow. If you need to, you can take Monday off.”

Steven thought for a moment. The offer was certainly tempting. It’d be another day to lay low and figure stuff out. But it was also another day of sitting and not being able to figure anything out. Besides, Connie would be there. “No, I’ll go. That night at the barn helped.” Whoops.

Rose crinkled her nose as she laughed. “Steven! Their apartment isn’t that bad!” She continued to laugh, a sound that was alien to Steven. After everything he had heard, he had nearly expected bells and music to play. Instead, she sounded utterly dorky, giggling like a teenage boy. It was amazing, and he couldn’t help but laugh himself, Greg watching them bemused. 

Steven felt completely normal, and he wasn’t sure how normal that was.


	3. Chapter 3

A knock at the door signified the arrival of Garnet and Amethyst, and Steven’s stomach did a flip-flop. He had been sitting next to Greg, reading his copy of  _ Overneath the Underworld _ , identical down to the torn page when Amethyst had scared him. Now he was about to see two of his best friends, except not.

He took a deep breath, quietly. He could do this. Before Rose or Greg could move, he had gotten up from the couch and went to the door, opening it to reveal Garnet and Amethyst’s doppelgangers.

Garnet’s hair, no longer a construction of light, was now a rounder, more Earthly afro. Instead of visors, she wore a pair of granny glasses that showcased her heterochromia quite clearly, one eye bright blue and the other a warm brown. Amethyst was still Steven’s height, but purple skin had been replaced with light-brown. To Steven’s amusement, her hair was still purple, mirroring Lapis’ strange reflection. Her outfit was remarkably similar to the one he knew, unlike the hipster mess that Garnet was wearing.

“Steve-O! Get over here!” The shorter woman pulled him into an uncomfortably tight hug, only letting go when Garnet put a hand on her shoulder.

“Amethyst, you’re turning the boy blue.”

“Sorry,” Amethyst grumbled, but she still winked at Steven. She turned to Rose and Greg, throwing them a casual “‘sup”, which was returned in kind. Garnet opted for hugging each one individually, nearly lifting Greg off his feet.

“Alright, Steven, how you feeling?” Amethyst quickly made her way into the kitchen, grabbing an already opened soda. “I’ve already gotten an earful from Lapis and Peridot, figured I’d hear it from the horse’s mouth.” She turned to look at him, and the rest of the room followed suit, Greg and Rose still looking somewhat anxious, and Garnet somehow looking as stoic as ever, even without half her face covered.

“I’m fine. I’m heading to school on Monday, so I can’t be doing that bad, right?” His grin was met with relieved looks from his parents and a slow nod from Garnet.

Amethyst shrugged and downed her drink. “Man, Lapis made it sound like you had a tumor or something this morning. That girl is so paranoid.”

Steven shrugged back, trying his best to look casual. “It’s still nice that you guys came over.”

Garnet chuckled. “Yes, because we’re here so rarely.”

“Oh please, you two could live here if you wanted,” Greg quipped as he threw on an overshirt. “Anyways, who’s ready for some Fish Stew?” Amethyst let out a loud “whoop”, while Garnet smiled politely.

Kofi hadn’t changed at all, still as gruff as ever. As soon as he saw the group enter, he threw up his hands in mock exasperation.

“Oh great! Let me tell Kiki to get all the ovens firing!”

“C’mon Kofi, no one orders it like we do,” Amethyst snarked as they took their seats.

“Which is a blessing.” He smiled warmly as he strolled over, grabbing a pencil and a pad. “No need to ask what you want, Jenny’s piling it high as we speak. Greg, the usual?”

“You know it!”

“Steven?”

“Triple pepperoni and tomatoes!”

“Excellent. Garnet, one salad and an extra large soda?”

She gave him a thumbs-up, smiling broadly.

He turned to Rose, smirking. “And for you?”

Rose tapped the laminated menu a few times, clearly in thought. “Extra cheese, half the sauce, deep dish, with spinach and peppers.”

“But of course.” With that he disappeared into the back, shouting orders as he did.

“Rose, you always order weird stuff, and that’s coming from  _ me _ .” Amethyst leaned back dangerously far in her seat, only to be gently pulled forward by Garnet.

“I said I’d never order the same thing twice, and I meant it,” Rose countered as she typed something into her phone. Steven leaned over to see a list of pizzas, each one at least slightly different than the last.

“Poor Kofi,” he mumbled.

She gave him a kind look. “Steven, if I thought for a second it was a real hassle for him, I’d stop immediately. I know Kofi; it’s a challenge.” She smiled lopsidedly. “And one I’m happy to issue.”

Steven nodded politely. It made sense, knowing what he knew about his mom, but there was no denying it in person: Rose was pretty weird. He turned to Garnet and Amethyst, both talking quietly about work with each other.

“How’s Ruby?” Steven asked, before stiffening a little. He had no clue if Ruby or Sapphire even existed in this timeline. He had a hunch, but heaven help him if he was wrong.

To his immediate relief, Garnet grinned proudly as she handed her phone to him. “She got second place in her tae-kwon-do competition.” On the screen was a picture of a shorter, older woman with a ruddy complexion, holding up a second place trophy with a tired smile. To her immediate left was an equally short woman with an eyepatch and her white hair tied back into a bun, very smugly holding a first place trophy. Next to the couple stood Garnet, proudly wearing a shirt that said “My Moms Rock!”.

Steven snickered as he handed the phone back. “Good for them.”

The others joined the conversation, and Steven listened carefully, only interjecting when he felt he could get away with it. He quickly realized that if he didn’t ask obvious questions, like who people were or when something happened, he was okay. Instead, he began to quietly ask how people were, or how some event had gone since the last time. He’d still get the occasional look when Rose gently corrected him on something he should know, but nothing like the stare he had gotten from asking about Pearl.

He glanced over at Amethyst as his mind turning to the missing third (fourth?) party. Anything he wanted to know about Pearl, he’d have to get from her. He thought about Peridot’s words, however. Apparently, it was not a conversation she’d necessarily want to have, if it only came up when she was drunk. He’d have to time it well.

The pizzas came, and the five ate, conversation falling into a lull as everyone’s mouths were full. Of course, Kofi nailed Rose’s pizza, which she let him know in no uncertain terms. Amethyst’s pizza, a sloppy, greasy mess, was equally well received, much to the table’s disgust.

Steven happily munched on his pizza. He was certainly eating well here. Back home, Pearl was the only gem who knew how to cook well (Garnet couldn’t ever get the recipes down, and Amethyst’s concoctions were downright toxic), so when she got busy with missions, Steven had to rely on microwave meals more often than not. He finished his drink and immediately looked over at Garnet. “Can I have another soda?”

She glanced over at Rose with a funny little smile on her lips. “That’s up to Rose, but I bet she’ll say yes.”

Rose giggled. “Should I count that as one of your little predictions?”

“Only if it helps my batting average.”

The two women laughed at their jokes, leaving Steven feeling a little embarrassed. Of course he couldn’t treat Garnet like his mom, or even another mom. She was his aunt; Rose was his mom. As obvious as it was, it felt a little strange to redirect his attention like that. He looked over at Amethyst again. At least he could treat her pretty much the same.

Dinner came and went fairly quickly, with no more hiccups, and the family wandered slowly back to the beach house, Rose and Greg walking hand in hand, Steven in step with Garnet and Amethyst.

“Steven, still sure about school tomorrow?” Rose looked over her shoulder at the trio behind her.

He nodded, forcing a bit of a smile. “It’ll be good to have that routine.”

“Okay, darling.” She smiled brightly at him before turning her attention back to her husband, and Steven had to swallow down the lump in his throat. 

Once they got home, Garnet and Amethyst said their good-byes and returned to their vehicles, taking off in opposite directions from each other. Steven made a mental note to figure out where they lived later. The Universes went inside, quickly changing into pajamas. As Steven crawled into bed, there was a knock on his door.

“Come in!”

Rose entered, wearing flannel pants and a very worn-out “Mr. Universe” t-shirt. “Just checking in before you go to sleep. It sounds like you’re feeling better.”

“Yeah, definitely.” He wasn’t lying. Good food and a calmer evening had helped him to feel a little grounded.

“Good, good.” She walked over to him, sitting on his bed next to him. Steven slowly leaned into his mother, closing his eyes as she gently played with his hair. “Steven, if there’s anything that’s really bothering you, you know you can always talk to me or your dad, right? You don’t even have to tell both of us; if it’s a Greg thing, it’ll stay a Greg thing.” She stared off into the distance as she spoke, her voice low and warm like honeyed tea.

“I know, Mom. And I will if I need to.”

“Just making sure.” She leaned over and kissed him on the head. “Get some sleep, it’ll be an early morning. Love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.” His voice sounded so quiet in his ears.

She smiled at him and quietly padded out of the room, turning off the light and closing the door gently behind her. Steven stared at where she had been for a few moments before falling back onto his pillow, somehow exhausted yet completely wired. It took some time to quiet the bee’s nest of thoughts in his brain, but he slowly did so, closing his eyes and falling into a long, dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Knuckles rapped sharply on his door and woke Steven up with a jolt. His eyes shot around the room, and he couldn’t help but be a little disappointed that he still wasn’t home. Soon, maybe.

“Rise and shine! It’s a new week!” Rose’s voice was sunlight and honey, sounding legitimately happy that it was a Monday. Steven rubbed the sleep from his eyes and grabbed some clothes. Even here, his wardrobe was pretty monochromatic. Stacked on top of his TV were several binders and books for school, a planner sitting on top. Steven quietly gave thanks as he flipped through it. He wouldn’t be totally lost at school.

As he ate his breakfast (chocolate chip pancakes with bits of graham cracker mixed in), he began to ruminate on the idea of school. Pearl took care of most of his educational needs at home: she and Greg had taught him how to read, and anytime he had a question on math or science or any other human subject, Pearl was always the one with an answer. He wouldn’t completely be a fish out of water, but he still had anxieties. What if he had bullies? What if some gem monster found its doppelganger in his hallways, hulking and mean? He swallowed a lump of pancake. What if his teachers were mean?

The fact that he was fussing over teachers struck him as funny. He giggled a little as he ate, earning a cheeky grin from Greg.

“Feeling good about school, Stuball?”

“Definitely.” He took another large bite. He’d been doing a lot of lying recently; there was no reason to end it that morning.

Steven sat quietly in the passenger seat of the van, now immaculately clean in comparison to the one he knew. Rose was driving him that morning, cheerfully humming along to some prog rock on the radio. Outside, Steven saw the slightly different Beach City stretch on, now containing a park and what looked like more schools. Rose drove past these and continued down a side road until they slowed down in front of what he could only assume was his destination.

The school seemed massive, although Steven wasn’t sure if that was just because he had never been so close to one before. It was a boxy compound, with one facility in the middle that was surrounded by several smaller buildings in a similar style. The courtyard was a lovely green, and students could be seen milling about everywhere, some sitting on benches, some on the ground, some slowly walking to their lockers, not yet fully awake. Steven could hardly believe how excited he was getting. So this was middle school!

“Alright, you have your lunch money? Your backpack is packed? Shoes aren’t too tight?” Rose flashed him a grin that was a little too bright. Steven had heard his parents talking last night, when they thought he was asleep. They were really trying not to worry; Steven seemed mostly okay. Mostly, however, was not completely, and he knew they wouldn’t fully calm down until he seemed to reach that mark.

“I’m good, Mom. Thanks.” He flashed his own grin at her, one that was perhaps a little tired. “Love you, I’ll see you this afternoon.” He reached out and hugged her tightly before getting out of the van, bounding off and away. As he reached the entrance gate, he slowed down, grabbing his planner from his back pocket. A poorly copied map was printed on the very back, and Steven had circled all of the classrooms he needed to go to. As he slowly trekked to math class, he spent as much time staring at his planner as he did swinging his head side to side, watching for people he might possibly know. As unfamiliar students passed by him, one or two occasionally waving casually at him, Steven was forced to admit that, outside of Connie, he really didn’t know anyone his age. Well, one other person.

“Steven!” Peedee’s crackly voice rang loud, and he ran up to Steven’s side. He looked exactly the same: tiny and scraggly, his hair pointing in all directions and his grin missing a tooth. He was now wearing a proper t-shirt, and had a ratty backpack on his shoulders. What caught Steven off guard, however, was his grin. Back home, Peedee’s smile was a frail thing, one burnt fry or assumed worry away from disintegration. The Peedee next to him had no such frailty. He walked with a bounce in his step, and had no problems idly chit-chatting with Steven about homework.

“Can you believe we were supposed to finish that in one night? As if! What did you get for number five?”

Steven pursed his lips. All of his homework had been done when he found it. It was in his writing, and had all been answers he would have given. Not for the first time, he wondered where “he” was.

“I don’t remember, we can just check it in class.” Apparently, his voice belied something, because Peedee’s expression turned more serious, a face Steven was more used to seeing.

“Everything ok, man?” He put a hand on his shoulder, a move that surprised Steven.

“Yeah, I’m fine. It was just a long weekend.”

“Anything you want to talk about?” They had found the classroom and headed inside, Peedee naturally taking a seat next to Steven. 

“Maybe later.” He smiled at Peedee and pulled out his homework, making a show of double-checking the answers so he’d have a moment to think (after they had gone over number five, of course: Steven had gotten it wrong).

The teacher, a friendly-looking women with auburn hair, waved everyone in cheerfully, already writing on the whiteboard at the front of the room. Steven sighed as he turned his attention to her. He’d be able to think later.

Two classes later, Steven sat down in the cafeteria, a tray loaded with mac and cheese sitting in front of him. To his side sat Peedee, munching on a baloney sandwich and a small handful of authentic Fryman fries. At the moment, Peedee was regaling him with an anecdote about one of Ronaldo’s wilder escapades. Steven paid some attention, nodding at all the right moments, but he was scanning the busy lunchroom, looking for and not seeing--

There! Connie walked in, clutching a lunchbox in front of herself. Steven felt surprised for a fleeting moment upon seeing her wear glasses, but quickly remembered that she would here. She caught his eyes after a moment and waved slowly, pushing her way through the crowd to where they were sitting.

“Hey Steven, Peedee.” She sat across from both of them, pulling out a turkey sandwich on whole grain with a bag of baby carrots. “You guys ready for that bio quiz?”

Peedee groaned loudly. “Don’t remind me. If I have to go over cell structures one more time I’m going to vomit.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Steven munched on his lunch, watching his friends. Something didn’t seem right.

“Yeah, why are you worrying, Connie? You always get, like, 105s.” Peedee sipped at some juice before standing up. “Be right back.” With that, he scurried off to the restroom.

Connie looked over at Steven but said nothing, still smiling shyly. After a few baby carrots in silence, she found something to say. “So, how was your weekend?” Her smile was polite, but that was all it was. Steven’s heart sank low.

“Connie, do me a weird favor?”

“Y-yeah, sure.” She gave him a suspicious look.

“How did we meet? I just want to make sure I remember it correctly.” He took another bite of mac and cheese, trying hard to not seem as concerned as he really was.

She wrinkled her nose, confused. “I was sitting on the beach, and you came up and gave me a glow bracelet I had dropped at the parade the year before. Then we started talking about books.” She thought for a second. “Yeah, it was a pretty calm day.”

“So, if I said Jam Buds, you’d say . . ?”

Connie shrugged. “I don’t know, Jelly Pals?” She giggled at her joke, and Steven managed to choke out a laugh as well. To his immense relief, Peedee came back at that point, and the conversation shifted to Ronaldo’s documentary he had been working on. Steven took small bites of his food, his appetite immediately quashed. 

He had figured that stuff would be different with Connie; how could it not? But hearing that they weren’t Jam Buds seemed to take a bite out of him. He glanced over at Peedee, talking animatedly. At least this world had been a little kinder to him. 

Lunch ended none too soon, and the rest of the day passed in a blur for Steven. School wasn’t half as terrifying as he had figured. The teachers were nice, and people seemed to recognize him in the hallways. In between classes, Peedee found him, and Steven found himself slowly warming up to his friendship with him. They hardly seemed to talk after the Frybo incident back home, and it was nice to see a new side to him. Connie had milled with them at the end of the day as they waited for parents, but had been the first to leave. Peedee quickly followed, and Steven soon after that, Greg waving excitedly from his weirdly clean van.

“Hey, Stuball! How was class today?”

“Alright. I think I did good on my bio quiz.”

“Hey, that’s great!” Greg reached out and ruffled Steven’s hair, his smile more one of relief than genuine enthusiasm. “Nothing too overwhelming?”

“Nah, it was just a normal school day.” Steven looked out the window, watching the grass slowly turn into sand. “Perfectly normal.”


	5. Chapter 5

That week was a peculiar one for Steven. Each morning, Rose would drive him to school, which was really nice. The more time he spent around her, the more he realized how much he really did like his mom. She had a weird sense of humor, to be sure, but the two couldn’t have been more alike in their outlooks. More than once, she would catch him looking at her intensely, and he never gave an explanation.

Once he was at school, Peedee would rush out to greet him, which was also quite nice. Peedee continued to be funny and outgoing, and Steven actually spent a few afternoons over at his place. Mr. Fryman was as jovial as ever, and Ronaldo was Ronaldo. His house was small, but Peedee clearly didn’t care a lick. He was happy with life, and his contentment was contagious. Steven felt calmer hanging around him.

School itself was also a pleasant surprise. Steven didn’t find himself struggling too much with any of the subjects; a math question here, a vague essay prompt there, sure, but nothing too bad.

The afternoons not spent with the Frymans were spent at home with Greg, which was perhaps Steven’s favorite part of the week. After he finished his homework, he’d join Greg in the living room with his ukulele and the two would have quiet jam sessions, Rose occasionally singing along. His days were scheduled, and his afternoons unbothered.

The issue was Connie; Steven had no idea what to do with her. She joined Steven and Peedee every day at lunch and after school, but apart from her one conversation with Steven, she rarely spoke more than two words at a time. Once, he had been able to get her talking about  _ Destiny’s End _ , which he knew she hated the ending, and it had been almost like the Connie he knew. Then she caught herself and, blushing, apologized for getting carried away. Steven had to resist the urge to hit his head on the table. She clearly enjoyed their company, but there was a wall that he had no idea how to surmount.

With this in mind, he asked Greg Thursday afternoon if he could see Garnet that weekend. Saturday, a little after noon, he sat next to Rose in the van, driving over to an apartment complex on the very edge of town. 

The buildings were just as tall as the ones where Lapis and Peridot lived, but decidedly nicer, white bricks gilded with black wrought iron for the patios and windows. Garnet stood outside, waving at them from behind a gate. Today she was wearing mom jeans and a tucked-in faded band t-shirt. Steven quickly hugged his mom good-bye and went over.

“Hello, Steven,” she called as the gate slowly rolled open. “I need to stop by my moms’ place real quick, do you mind joining me?”

Steven shook his head, smiling politely to hide his amusement. After learning that Ruby and Sapphire were her moms, he had been dying to see that interaction. 

They headed off, Steven occasionally having to run a few steps ahead to keep up with Garnet’s naturally long gait. Her moms lived in the same complex as her, in a far corner. When they arrived, Garnet knocked on the door once, twice, three times, and was immediately rewarded with two women closer to Steven’s height than hers cheerfully smothering her with affection.

“Garnet! Here for the guitar?” Ruby practically tugged her daughter into their unit, while Sapphire escorted Steven inside.

“Again, thank you so much. I’m so excited to play it.” Garnet spoke as evenly as ever, but her grin could have lit up the room. With that confirmation, Ruby ducked off into a back room, where rustling and the occasional bump could be heard.

“Hello, Steven. How’s your mother doing?” Sapphire pushed her hair out of her face, looking over at him carefully.

“She’s good. She fixed us these ridiculous omelettes this morning, with mushrooms and bell peppers and something called tempeh.”

“Ah, how healthy. It sounds delicious.” Sapphire’s voice was as dreamy as ever, as was her smile. She quickly turned her head to Garnet. “Remember to send us a video of you playing it. Ruby’s been so excited all week to hear how it sounds when it’s done right.”

“Yes ma’am.” She nodded respectfully, her smile less broad but calmer.

As if on cue, Ruby appeared with a bass guitar in her hands. It was a standard jazz bass, except for the wood carving, clearly Ruby’s aftermarket work. The body was covered in intricate scrawling that seemed to wind in and out of itself, the lines running dangerously close together but never crossing. 

“Ma, it’s beautiful.” Garnet wrapped her mom in a massive hug, lifting her off the ground. After a moment she set her down and embraced Sapphire a bit more tenderly. “I look forward to keeping up the neighbors with this.”

“You better! I want to hear about you at the next town hall.” Ruby guffawed at her joke, while Sapphire flashed a wicked grin. With that, Garnet and Steven excused themselves, but not before Sapphire loaded them up with a box of cookies. Steven beamed as he padded down the hall with Garnet, munching on his cookie. Having grandmas was amazing. 

At long last, they arrived at Garnet’s door. Her apartment was clean but cluttered, with all sorts of tapestries and instruments scattered throughout the rooms. Garnet placed her newest acquisition on an open stand in the living room, nodding in approval. With that, she turned to Steven. “Tea?”

The two found themselves sitting next to each other on her couch, sipping in relative silence. Steven’s eyes wandered about the room. Each of the tapestries had come from a different country, judging by the variety of styles. In front of them was a coffee table with several framed photographs. The first showed a very young Garnet, laughing with her eyes closed. Her hair was dyed in neat halves, red and blue. The next photo showed her and Rose, making faces for the camera as they arm wrestled. It was the third, however, that caught Steven’s attention. In it, Garnet was sitting next to Amethyst, both no more than twenty. What was peculiar, however, was the arm seen wrapped around Garnet’s shoulder. Whoever it belonged to had been cut out, and the picture sat just a little too small in its frame. 

Garnet noticed him staring and set her cup down. “So, how’s school? Your mom was telling me that you’ve been doing pretty well this week.”

Steven swallowed his tea. “It’s been alright. A little strange.” He looked over at Garnet, who motioned wordlessly for him to continue. “Well, someone that I thought I was best friends with isn’t. Not like, in a bad way, just . . . They’re not as close as I assumed they were. Does that make sense?”

Garnet nodded, taking another sip from her cup.

“And I want to be their best friend, but it’s kind of hard. They’re just, so, so quiet.”

Garnet’s mouth pulled into a little grin. “Well, obviously you can’t force friendship on anyone. But making friends is easy enough. Just show them why they should like you. Call them outside of school, if their parents will allow it.”

Steven nodded, already thinking on how that would work. Remembering how the Maheswerans were when he first met them, probably not smoothly. “That makes sense. It’s just off-putting.”

“I understand. But, you know you can always call me if you need help with Connie.” She sipped rather noisily, pointedly ignoring Steven’s surprised look. “Now, is there anything else you need some wisdom on?”

Steven glanced back over at the photograph, and Garnet’s smile turned a little sad. “I heard through the grapevine you had asked about her. Where did you even hear about Pearl?”

“I overheard it somewhere.” No point in making up a lie if the old one still worked.

“I’ll let you know right now to not ask Rose or Greg about anything. They haven’t talked to her in nearly fifteen years, and they wouldn’t want to bring it up anyway.”

Steven nodded. “Could you tell me anything?”

“Not really. She vanished after your parents married, and no one really knows where she went.” Garnet paused, her expression growing less sad and more frustrated. “You know, she actually tried to call me a few years ago. She wanted to reconcile, but I told her off.” She shook her head. “I still don’t know if that was the right choice.”

“What? Why would you do that?” Steven tried to sound less panicked than he felt, a task which proved difficult. 

Garnet didn’t seem to notice. “She left us. She threw away her friends because of an argument with Rose. Who does that?” Her voice raised, and she looked Steven in the eyes. “Who vanishes for fifteen years over an argument?”

He didn’t answer her question. “So no one knows what happened to her?”

Garnet sat for a second, in thought. Her gaze never left Steven. “You cannot tell your parents what I’m about to tell you, understand?” He nodded. “Good. Now, Amethyst will deny it until she’s blue in the face, but I know that she’s still in contact with Pearl. I don’t know how well or how often, but I’ve walked in on a few phone calls that were definitely from Pearl. If there’s anyone that would know anything, it’d be her. Not,” she forcefully added, staring Steven down, “that I recommend you do any more snooping. Let these things lie. It doesn’t--” She broke off, pursing her lips. “It shouldn’t concern you.”

Steven finished off his tea, thinking. “Thanks, Garnet. Good talk.”

“Anything for my favorite. Now, wanna help film with this guitar? I want to melt Ruby’s face!”


	6. Chapter 6

The smell of donuts was a welcome treat as Connie and Steven bustled into the Big Donut. A cloud had suddenly opened up on Beach City, and the two were rather damp as a result. Behind the counter sat Sadie, whistling a tune to herself. When she saw the teenagers enter, she waved cheerfully at them.

“Hey, guys! Staying dry?”

“Hardly,” Steven groaned. “I think some donuts will warm us up, though.”

“Of course. Pink with sprinkles for you.” She turned to Connie, her smile just as wide. “And you?”

“Just a croissant, please.”

“Figured. Still no sugar, huh?”

“Nothing in excess, and I already had a juice box today.”

Steven’s stomach made a weird movement. He remembered all too well how strict the Maheswerans were when they first met; he had nearly lost his mother’s sword as a result. Being back there, especially after seeing the kind of ship his parents ran, felt even stranger than ever.

They settled in at the table, listening to the sound of rain drumming against the glass windows. Sadie quickly brought them their food.

“Where’s Lars?” Steven graciously took the plate containing his donut.

Sadie made a harrumphing noise. “He called this morning to say he had a really bad cold; based on the sound in the background, he’s off at some concert.” She rolled her eyes and disappeared into the back, leaving Steven and Connie alone.

He opened his mouth to say something, but found nothing to say. It was a realization he had had the night prior, but was still trying hard to deny: what was there to talk about besides the Gems? Their first encounter had found them trapped in a magic bubble together, and it had only gotten crazier from there. It was a friendship forged from shared experiences, and they had none of those here.

Connie gave him a curious look and took a small, almost mousey bite of her croissant. “Everything okay?”

“Um, yeah. Just lost my train of thought.” He drummed his fingers anxiously, forcing himself to take a bite of his donut. Strangely enough, it was a little sweeter than home’s. His brain latched to the one safe subject he knew, and he forced the words out. “So . . . read any good books lately?” He felt awkward asking, and it showed in his tone. Connie felt it too, and shifted a little in her seat.

“Not really. I’ve been too busy with school. I’ve barely had time to read my textbooks.”

“We don’t have textbooks.”

“No, but my mom found some supplementary study material. It’s actually pretty interesting stuff.”

Steven nodded slowly, taking another small bite. Time for Plan B. “Well, how’s your violin going?”

Connie’s eyes lit up, and he could feel himself relax immediately. “Really well! I’ve been working on some of Persichetti’s  _ Masques _ . My teacher said he might have me work on Corelli’s  _ La Folia _ after I get a little better. My mom’s going to take me to see the youth orchestra in Empire City this weekend so we can decide if it’s something I want to do. How’s the ukulele?”

“Good, I’ve been having jam sessions with my dad in the evenings.” Steven’s grin nearly split his face in two. It figured that music would be the one constant. “I’m sure you’ll get in if you audition, you’ve always been so good at violin.”

Connie giggled. “What do you mean? We only started talking about music, like, a month ago, when you brought your ukulele to school.”

Steven scrambled for an explanation. “I mean, you’ve been playing it so long, though. I’m sure you’ve been awesome for a while, especially if you’re doing masks and follies.”

“Thanks, Steven.” Connie’s smile was warm, and she took a hefty bite of her food. “By the way, Peedee wanted me to see how you were doing.”

“He did?” Steven couldn’t help but let out an irritated sigh. He wasn’t used to having others check in on him like this, and he was starting to find the attention from all sides a bit much. “I’m fine, really. I’m sorry if I’ve been quiet at school.”

Connie shrugged. “Look who you’re talking to.” She paused as her comment caught up with her, blushing furiously. “Not that I’m complaining! I just know that I tend to be kind of in the background sometimes.” Her face fell from embarassed to sad.

A sudden peal of thunder startled both of them, and they stared out the window, watching the rain fall heavier, splashing white against the streets. Their gazes slowly turned back to each other, and Connie was surprised to see something of resolution in Steven’s face.

“Connie, you’re not background. I know it may not seem like it, but I do consider you a good friend, maybe even a best friend.” Her eyes widened at his statement, and he immediately wondered if he had maybe taken too grand of a stand. To his relief, she began to smile, her face just as red as before.

“I don’t know how. I only started really hanging out with you guys this year.” She stared down at her food. “That is very nice to hear, however.” Before Steven could add anything, though, her smile began to fade. “Seriously though, how am I your best friend? I figured that would be Peedee. You two grew up together.” Connie looked up at him, her expression growing more suspicious. “And how did you know I’ve been playing violin for so long? I literally only brought it up once.” 

It was Steven’s turn to blush as he desperately tried to piece together some explanation for his knowledge. He felt like he had crossed a line unseen. “Are you sure it was only once? I’m pretty sure you brought it up somewhere else.”

“No. I don’t talk about my music much at school.”

“Maybe you told Peedee, then, and he told me.” Her look grew even darker, and he knew that he had really messed up.

“Yeah, because I talk to Peedee all the time.” Connie was leaning back in her seat, her arms pulled tight around herself. “Why did you ask me out here today? We don’t ever really talk, except for maybe at lunch. Let’s be honest, I just follow you and Peedee around because you’re the only people I know at school. Now, all of a sudden, you tell me we’re best friends, even though we’ve literally hung out together outside of school three times, including this?” Her look was equally disappointed and accusatory. “I don’t know who put you up to this joke, but it’s not funny. I thought you weren’t someone to do something like this.”

“No! No, I’m not!” Steven felt panic wrap around his throat. “This isn’t a joke. You’re right, we don’t talk a lot, and I want to fix that. What I meant was, I want to be a better friend. I want to be a good friend.”

“That’s not what you said.”

“It’s what I meant,” he repeated, his palms flat on the table. “I’m sorry. I’m not pulling any jokes on you. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

She glared at him for a few seconds, reading his face, before her expression softened, nearly imperceptibly. “Okay. So how did you know about my violin?”

Steven sighed, stalling as long as he could while he tried to figure out what to tell her. He couldn’t tell her the truth; she would for sure think he was playing some cruel joke on her, and it’d really be over. “When my mom called your mom to ask if we could hang out, I overheard her bragging on the phone to my mom. I didn’t want to embarass you.”

Connie looked just as skeptical, but shrugged. “Sounds like her.” She looked out the window, watching as the storm began to move out over the ocean. “I’m sorry for assuming. It’s happened before at other schools.” She wiped at her eyes. “Honestly, if we’re just going by how much time I’ve spent with anyone, you probably are the best friend I’ve had. Which is really sad.”

Steven didn’t know how to respond to that, so he looked out the window as well. The clouds, which had been a charcoal color only a few minutes ago, had evened out into a metallic blue that spread out across the sky as far as they could see. As the rain slowly faded away, a few lighter spots began to form until the sun had just barely cracked through the clouds.

“Well, I hope I can be a good best friend, then.”

Connie bit back a laugh, giving him a warning look. “You’re not out of the woods yet, Universe. I’m still not sure if I believe you.”

He nodded, once. “That’s fair. Looks like the rain’s about gone, want to head out?”

“No, I’ll call my mom to pick me up here.” She paused for a second before sticking out her hand. “If you’re serious about this, I’ll give it a shot.”

Steven took her hand, smiling lopsidedly as he shook it. “Okay, Jam Bud.”

Connie scoffed. “I really doubt that’s going to stick.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! Writer's block was crashing on my couch for a bit and I just evicted it.


	7. Chapter 7

“Steven, this jacket would look so good on you! It’s not your usual color scheme, but still!”

Rose and Garnet had woken him up early that Sunday to join them on some errands. Now they were in the clothing section of the local department store, where Steven was surprised to see his trademark red shirt on sale. He never questioned where they came from at home; they just kind of _ appeared _. At the moment, his mom stood in front of him, holding a pink varsity jacket.

“It’s a little big for me, Mom.”

“You’ll grow into it in a couple of years.” Garnet said this more as a statement of fact than a reassurance.

Steven shook his head and grabbed one of the shirts he usually wore, as well as a blue one with the same star pattern. “I’ll come back for it later, then.”

His mom said nothing but added it to the cart, sticking her tongue out at him. “By the way, how was Connie the other day?” She asked very casually, but Steven could see her and Garnet practically hold their breath. 

“She’s fine. She was supposed to go to some orchestra thing this weekend and maybe join them.” 

“Oh, she’d do so well! Are you two going to keep hanging out?” Rose practically bounced on her tiptoes as she asked him.

“I hope so. She’d be a good friend to have.” Steven saw Garnet’s grin and made a face. “A friend, guys, a friend!”

“I said nothing suggesting anything.” Garnet maneuvered the trio over to the baking section for some flour, then to the breakfast section, where, to their surprise, they found Amethyst, currently in the process of buying some very sugary cereal. When she turned and saw them, her eyes barely flickered.

“Sup?” She waved casually, before noticing Steven. All of a sudden, her attitude changed. “Little man!” She immediately went over and hugged him, again nearly turning him blue. “When are you coming over? It’s been fu--” She stopped, glancing nervously at Rose. “It’s been _ freaking _ forever!”

“Well, if his homework isn’t too bad, maybe next weekend?” Rose looked down at her son kindly, and he nodded slowly. 

“Dude! Hell yeah!” Amethyst messed his hair up before turning her attention back to the other two. “And you two could swing by, if you want.” The invitation was delivered in a friendly enough way, but Steven realized that all three knew what the answer would be before it was even given.

“Sure, sounds good. I’ll let you know when I can.” Rose pulled Amethyst into a hug that wasn’t entirely comfortable, and they both seemed a little relieved to pull away. Garnet’s hug was much warmer, if not also a little stiff. 

“I’ll see you Tuesday.” Garnet patted Amethyst on the back before pulling away, and the three left her to finish picking her breakfast. Steven looked back, only to see Amethyst giving them a look he wasn’t sure how to process. He quickly turned back around, making sure neither Rose or Garnet had noticed. That was something he could figure out next weekend.

* * *

The screen was dark, reflecting Steven’s face. He practiced a few smiles before it suddenly clipped to two women sitting on a couch. As soon as they saw him, they were all grins.

“Steven! It’s been ages!” Lapis’ smile seemed a bit tired. 

“Sorry, I’ve been trying to see everyone. I’m only now getting to hang out with Amethyst.”

Peridot perked up at her name. “Oh! Well, let us know how that goes. She’s been talking our hind legs off about how little she’s seen you lately.”

“No kidding,” Lapis interjected. “How’s school been going? Last time I saw you, you were . . .” She paused, trying to think of the right euphemism. “. . . all kinds of weird. Your mom said you’re doing better, though.”

Steven laughed a little. “I’m feeling tons better. Still a little fuzzy around the edges sometimes, but at least I’m not fainting anymore.” He laughed again, but quickly stopped when he noticed his friends’ concerned looks. “Guys, really, I’m okay. You two will be the first to know if I’m not.”

“I’m holding you to that. If you don’t, I’m not responsible for what she does,” Peridot intoned, pointing a thumb at Lapis.

“Yeah, I might just sprout wings and fly over there.” She grinned, flexing her fingers like claws.

Steven blinked, the sudden parallel a little unnerving. “Pinkie promise. No flying needed.”

The conversation moved on to Lapis and Peridot’s day, with much griping from Peridot about her new boss (“He’s such a clod!”), while Lapis chimed in about how her latest art was selling. Soon enough, Steven caught the time in the corner of his screen.

“Whoa! It’s pretty late.” He realized he still had another conversation to take care of.

Lapis stretched and yawned. “Yeah, I’m feeling it too. Let’s let him get some sleep, hon.” She kissed Peridot’s forehead and stood up, padding away to her bedroom. As soon as the door closed, Peridot fixed Steven with a serious look.

“Are you going to talk to Amethyst while you’re there?” 

He grimaced. “I don’t know how to.”

“Simple. Very carefully.” With that, she wished him a good night and hung up, leaving Steven staring at an empty screen again. Sighing, he made his next call.

“Hey! I honestly thought you weren’t going to make it.” Connie looked tired, but her voice was happy enough.

“Sorry, I got caught up in another conversation.”

“I figured. How was your weekend?”

“Not bad, did homework yesterday, ran some errands today.”

“How thrilling.” Connie smiled a bit crookedly.

“Well, it was weird. We ran into one of my aunts today, but she seemed really awkward with everyone except me.”

“That is weird, does she usually do that?”

Steven was about to say no, but he thought about when she and Garnet had first visited. She hadn’t even bothered to go hug Rose or Greg when Garnet did, and while Garnet would occasionally pop by just to say hi on her way home from work, Amethyst never did.

“Maybe more than I realized.”

Connie nodded, a familiar look of sageness on her face. “Adults are weird.”

“Practically alien.” Steven paused as he realized what he said and giggled a little at his unintended joke. When he saw Connie’s confused look, he waved his hand, physically pushing his comment aside. “How was the orchestra?” 

She let out a bark of a laugh. “My mom wants to look around some more, see if she can find something ‘fit for my standards’.” She raised her arms, repeating her mother’s words with air quotes. “Personally, I thought they were really good.” 

Steven could hear a bumping sound, and Connie jumped a little bit. “Ah, that’s probably her right now. I’m not supposed to be up. Talk to you at school!” Before he could respond, she hung up, leaving him alone with himself for the second time that night. 

He was quick to say good-night to his parents, both on the couch with some popcorn. Back in his room, he shrugged on his pajamas and crawled into bed, where he stared at the ceiling, thinking. 

The Connie situation seemed to be a lot better; at the very least, they were talking more. Steven decided that he could set that aside, at least for the time being. No sooner had he done that, however, than his brain narrowed in on Pearl.

Why had she left? It was the question necessary to understanding any of what had happened, but the answer seemed to be guarded with a particular ferocity. The Pearl he knew would never have left, which only compounded his confusion. Was this Pearl that much different than his? He thought of Garnet, as stoic as ever. Lapis and Peridot seemed pretty much the same, too. Then he remembered how awkward Amethyst had been in the store with them. She certainly wasn’t the same. Was it connected?

Steven groaned, quietly. He remembered when Pearl had lied to Garnet to create Sardonyx, how tense everything had been then. This seemed like some horrible extension of that, now warped over fifteen years. What would even happen if he did find Pearl? Even if she did decide to talk to him, who was to say anyone else would? Garnet had made it very clear how she felt about her; bringing them face-to-face seemed like a very bad idea. 

The only thing he knew with any certainty was that Amethyst was key to most of this. If he could get some answers from her this weekend, maybe he could figure out what to do next. Until then, all he could do was wait, somehow again at the mercy of conflicts older than he was. Before he closed his eyes and fell asleep, Steven couldn’t help but think that it was a bit unfair.


	8. Chapter 8

The cafeteria buzzed, a low and steady rumble. No one’s individual voice could be heard; rather, single words and sounds floated to the top and sank again, with the occasional argument briefly centering attention.

In the midst of all this, Steven’s head slipped from the hand propping it up and hit the table with an audible “bang”, resulting in a flurry of worried and amused looks from everyone around him. Even in the crowded cafeteria, the noise was loud.

“Geez, rough night last night?” Peedee took a bite of his sandwich, looking over his friend with concern. Connie sat across from them, her expression mirroring his.

“Yeah, didn’t sleep well.” Steven yawned, seemingly unaware of how hard he had hit himself. “I’ll be fine after lunch, sitting helps.” His eyes drifted shut again, before shooting back open. “See, better already!” The bags under his eyes told a different story. In truth, Steven had woken up several times throughout the night, each time from the same dream: Pearl, running away from him, her face hidden in shadows, refusing to stop no matter how much he yelled and begged. After he had woken up again at six, he had spent the morning on the couch, dozing in and out of equally restless sleep.

“I don’t know, maybe you should go to the nurse’s and nap on a cot.” Connie’s advice was so tempting to Steven, but he shook his head slowly.

“I’ll get through the day and sleep when I’m home. Everyone has a rough night sometimes.”

Connie looked like she wanted to press it farther but didn’t, instead opting to pack up her lunch. “Suit yourself. I’ve got to talk to Mr. Quartey about that math quiz next week. I  _ need _ extra credit if I’m going to keep my average up.” With that and a little wave, she was gone.

Peedee looked over at his friend, who was now resting his head on the table. “Alright, man, what’s going on?”

“Wha’?”

“You know what. For the last couple of weeks, you’ve been all jumpy and forgetful, and now this.” He motioned at Steven’s disheveled form. “I’ve literally never seen you like this.”

Steven sat up slowly, yawning. “You know, school and stuff. And stuff.” How long was lunch? He could feel sleep gripping his eyes.

“No way, there’s something else happening here.” Peedee wore an expression that reminded Steven of Ronaldo, an inquisitive look that suggested his brain running at full speed. Peedee’s gaze turned back to where Connie had been sitting, and to Steven’s immediate horror, his look of speculation was immediately replaced with a smug grin.

“Oh. I’ve got it.”

That woke Steven up immediately. “No. No, no. No, you don’t.” He felt himself blushing, which didn’t help his case at all.

Peedee crossed his arms in front of himself, his grin only getting wider. All he needed was the flaming shirt to be the spitting image of his brother. “So why are you blushing?” 

Darn it! “Peedee, she’s just my friend. I swear.”

“Sure.” Peedee took a bite of his sandwich, laughing. “Hey, I won't say anything, so don’t worry about me. Just let me know if you need a wingman.”

Steven made to say something, but instead let out a long, gusty sigh. He was too tired to fight. Besides, if Peedee was offering support, what could it hurt to take it? He rested his head on his arms, stealing a look up at his friend. “Whatever. Thanks.” His eyes drifted slowly back shut.

“No problem.” He clapped Steven on the back, grinning toothily. “There’s that school dance in a couple of months, maybe you could be her date.”

There was no response; sleep had finally stolen Steven away.

After school, Steven was surprised to see Rose waiting in the van. Usually Greg was the one to pick him up in the afternoons. She was also much earlier than Greg was, already waiting for him when school left out. She waved cheerfully at him, but there was a tightness in her grin that made him feel uneasy. He quickly said his goodbyes to Peedee and Connie and hopped in.

“Hey, Steven. How was school today?” Her smile was just as tight, even more so now that he was in the car. Between them sat a small photo album, taped together in various spots. Steven could just make out that Rose’s loopy handwriting once lined the spine. Now faded by age and use, all he could make out now for sure was the letter “C”.

“Fine. Getting ready for a quiz next week.” He couldn’t help but note that the car radio was turned off, a fact that only made him feel more off-center. “How was your day?”

“Oh, just fine. Went and saw Garnet, we had a nice conversation.” After her response she was silent, the lack of music only emphasizing the relative stillness inside the vehicle. Whenever Steven looked over at her, her expression was one of uneasiness. She reached out, placing one hand on the photo album, tapping it idly. Her attention was focused on that little book. At the one red light they stopped at, she glanced at it several times before driving again.

The drive was mercifully short. Instead of going home, they pulled into a parking lot behind a shopping center. Rose turned the car off, now allowing for a more complete silence, much to Steven’s growing worry. For several minutes, no one spoke. Rose now held the album close to her chest, her look of unease now one of quiet frustration.

“Steven, tell me the truth. Where did you hear Pearl’s name?”

“I overheard it.” The lie came easy now.

“Do you remember where?” Her voice was just as even and calm as ever.

“No.”

She nodded slowly, before opening up the photo album, flipping immediately to a page in the back. She pulled out a dog-eared photo and gingerly handed it to Steven. “I don’t know if you’ve ever seen a picture of her before, so here. This was when we were all in college. You can see how different we all were back then.”

The picture was well-loved, with a faded part where it had clearly sat in the sun for a while. In the picture, four women grinned happily at the camera, arms around each other. Amethyst sat on the far left, her hair much shorter than it was now. Garnet’s hair was faded red and blue, her black roots showing thickly. In between the two of them sat Rose and Pearl. 

Rose hardly looked like herself: her hair was much lighter, styled up into a seemingly weightless poof. Her clothes were frillier, and she was slimmer then. More than that was her expression: she was almost glaring into the camera, her expression one of smug contempt. It was not the warm, loving gaze that Steven knew. Pearl, however, looked almost exactly the same. Her cheeks were red with laughter, and she was the only one not looking at the camera, instead looking over at Rose with clear adoration in her eyes.

“This is a good picture of you guys.” Steven didn’t know what to say. He was raised in a household of legends, rebels that seemed larger than life. He couldn’t remember ever seeing his caretakers look so . . . effortless.

Rose didn’t answer immediately. She stared at the picture in his hands, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. “It was a very long time ago, Steven, and I was a very different person. I didn’t even go by my real name then; everyone called me ‘Pink’. It took some time to figure out who I was and calm down.” She laced her fingers together, now looking straight ahead. “Even when I met your father, I was still figuring that out. Garnet and Amethyst, they’ve been with me every step of the way. They know who I am.” She looked over at her son. “Am I making sense?” When he didn’t respond, she reached out, taking his hand in hers. “I’m only saying this once: please don’t keep digging for Pearl. I’m not who I was when she left, and I doubt she is either. These things just happen. People argue. People drift apart, and you have to learn to let it go. This isn’t your fight, so please don’t make it yours.”

Steven still said nothing, staring down at the picture. It was very possible that Pearl was not the same, likely, even. It was even possible, however remote it might have felt at some point in time, that who she was now was not someone that he wanted to know. He had Garnet and Pearl, and Lapis and Peridot. He had his dad. He had Rose, an impossibility that still took his breath sometimes. He nodded, slowly. “I understand.”

Rose smiled honestly, wiping away the tears that had formed. “Thank you. Steven, you’ve got such a big heart; chasing after this would only hurt you.”

“Love you, Mom.”

“I love you too.”

As the car pulled out of the parking lot, Steven still held onto the photo. He was surprised with how good he was getting at lying. He had his friends, and he had Rose. 

But Pearl was gone, and he couldn’t ignore that.


	9. Chapter 9

Amethyst’s apartment was, for lack of a better term, messy. Clothes lay about everywhere, sloppily divided by color and type so she could dash around and get dressed quickly in the morning. Dead and dying houseplants lined the windows, various rocks and gemstones dotting the spaces in between the pots. The kitchen was terrifying; the stove was clearly burnt all over, and dishes sat in a thin puddle of murky water.

“Mi casa es su casa, dude. Seriously glad you could make it!” Amethyst pushed by a stack of books, nearly toppling it. “Sorry for the mess, I tried to clean up a little.”

Steven shrugged. Her room back home was much worse. “Looks fine to me.”

“Ha! You flatter.” She dropped to the floor, looking for something under the couch. “So, how’s school been? Garnet mentioned you were taking a quiz or something like that? Idunno.” She disappeared fully under the furniture, grunting as she wriggled about. “C’mon . . .”

“Yeah, I did alright on it, nothing to report on.” He slowly walked around the couch. “Amethyst, do you need help, or--”

“Got it!” She stood up quickly, nearly falling backwards. “Whoa! Head rush.” In her hand was a dusty cartridge for Golf Quest XL. “Ready to get your butt whooped?”

“Oh, it’s on!” Steven immediately forgot about whatever he had wanted to talk about; he had his reputation to defend.

The next hour was a loud one as Steven and Amethyst trash-talked each other mercilessly, Steven especially leaning into golf puns, much to his friend’s chagrin. During a particularly long dialogue, however, Amethyst’s attitude seemed to shift.

“By the way, how’s your mom? I only got to talk to her for, like, five seconds the other day. I was hoping she would drop you off today, but I guess she was busy.”

Steven frowned. Rose had been particularly insistent that morning that Greg drop him off, because she was so busy with . . . well, she hadn’t really specified, but she certainly was busy. Not that Greg minded. He and Amethyst seemed to get along as well as ever, even if he seemed uncharacteristically rankled by her mess, going out of his way to ask her to do her dishes.

“Is Dad always that squeamish about the mess?” Steven opted for answering her question with one of his own.

“Yeah, it’s no big. To be fair, those dishes are pretty old.”

“I just don’t get why he’d make any sort of fuss about it, though.” The dialogue on-screen gave way to a battle, but neither of them were particularly focused on the game anymore.

“Ah, you’ll understand when you have kids. He just wants to make sure you’re safe and all that. Honestly, I need to ask him if he’d mind helping me with some of this stuff. Rose really doesn’t like the mess.”

Steven made a noncommittal sound. Back home, he had been the one to ask her for help with his own mess, cleaning up years of storage. This whole situation was only getting more backwards.

“Hey, tell your dad I did the dishes today, okay? Even if I don’t,” Amethyst added in a sotto voice.

“Sure.” 

“Oh! Just kicked your ass, dude!” Amethyst cheered at the battle’s results before flushing bright red. “Er, your butt. Don’t tell your parents I swore in front of you again. Your mom would kill me.”

Steven was noticing a trend. “Amethyst, is everything okay?”

“Yeah, maybe a little tired from work. Want a soda?” She stood up, stretching, walking into the kitchen.

“No, I mean, with my mom.”

“Yes.” The response came too quick.

“Amethyst.” Steven stood up, following her into the kitchen. “Has stuff always been weird with her?”

She said nothing, only handing him the soda. “Drink up, we’ll play round two in a second.” She took a swig of her own drink, a beer with the label peeled off.

“Amethyst . . .” Steven felt like a little kid with how he was whining, but he was getting more and more frustrated.

“Steven, everything is fine. Wouldn’t I tell you if it wasn’t?” She scoffed and drained her beer in a few loud gulps.

“I don’t think you would!” Steven raised his voice without thinking, and was immediately met with an icy glare from Amethyst.

“Hey, don’t raise your voice at me. I may be the fun aunt, but I’m still the adult here.” She muttered something darkly to herself.

“I’m sorry for yelling, but you’re not talking to me. I just want to know what’s going on.”

“Why? If there was anything going on, it’d just be a bunch of bull that doesn’t matter to you. Adults suck, Steven, don’t try to stick your nose in their business.” She motioned at the TV. “C’mon, let’s go again.”

He wasn’t having any of it. “Why won’t you talk to me?” 

“We’re talking right now, aren’t we? Dude, stop with the interrogations, seriously. You know your mom’s one of my best friends. I wouldn’t be your aunt if that wasn’t the case.” Amethyst was smiling, but her voice was pleading. “Look, we don’t have to play that golf game. Want to go grab some burgers?” 

Steven fixed her with a look, and her attitude changed, again reflecting a certain iciness. “Steven. Stop. I told you everything was fine. You’re making a situation out of nothing. Let’s go get that food.” She marched over to the door, muttering more as she walked. When she turned to see Steven in the same place, she groaned loudly. “Dude! Come on!” He still stood fixed, his arms crossed. “I’ll carry you, you know I will.” He didn’t even blink.

Finally, she groaned again, walking back over. “Steven, I don’t know what you think you’re doing. Just let the adults be adults.”

“But you’re not being adults!” Steven yelled again, frustrated blind. He knew he was throwing a fit, but he didn’t care. Garnet had given him half answers, while Rose had headed him off at the pass with a mother’s pin-pointed efficiency. All roads led to Amethyst, and he wasn’t about to let her block him off.

To both of their surprise, Amethyst burst out laughing. 

“Wait, wait, that was too good!” She sat down on the couch again, laughing until she was crying. “Oh, God.” She sniffled a little, wiping her eyes, before patting the couch next to her. Steven sat down slowly, watching her carefully. “Ugh. You’re not wrong. You know, I used to be real close with your mom. Not as close as her and --” She froze. “Well, we were close for a long time, but stuff kinda changed. Not that your mom isn’t still one of my best friends. But, you know, it could be better.” Amethyst leaned back into the couch, looking up at her ceiling. “That shouldn’t have been so hard to say.”

“It’s okay. You’re probably the first to be so honest with me.” Steven leaned into her, staring up with her.

“That’s a lie, I know Garnet is too honest with you. And your mom’s pretty straightforward too, really. We just don’t want you to worry, that's all.”

“Well, I want to worry. I want to fix things.”

Amethyst slipped her arm around him, pulling him into a hug. “C’mon, dude, there’s nothing for you to fix. I’ll talk to your mom, we’ll get back on track, it’ll be all good!”

“That’s not what I’m talking about, Amethyst.”

Amethyst’s face immediately warped, reflecting something between fear and anger. “Don’t go there.”

“If you know what I’m talking about, then you know I will.”

“No! This really isn’t something for you.” She stood up abruptly, walking quickly back into the kitchen, where she started washing her dishes. 

“Amethyst--”

“I said no!”

“--tell me about Pearl.”

Amethyst let the dish she was washing slip through her fingers, clattering loudly back into the sink. “Fine. I’m calling your mom. You’re going home.” She grabbed her cell phone, unlocking it.

“Wait, wait, Amethyst!” Steven hopped over the back of the couch, rushing over to his friend, quickly grabbing her phone.

“Hey!”

“Look, I get it, this doesn’t concern me, I shouldn’t be bothered by this, I get it.”

“No, you don’t get it!” She snatched her phone back, but set it on a counter, away from both of them. “Rose said you might do this. She also said to call her if you tried anything funny. Give me one reason I shouldn’t make that phone call.”

Steven blanched. Amethyst stood in front of him, arms crossed, looking more like an authority figure than he had ever seen her be in his life. If he didn’t pick his words carefully, everything would be over before it started. When Amethyst cleared her throat, impatient for an answer, he decided on a new approach: tell the truth, as much as he was able.

“Amethyst, you’re going to call me crazy, but I need you to bear with me, okay?”

“The floor’s yours.” She still looked unimpressed.

“I had, um, a vision? Let’s go with that. I saw this world where you and Garnet and Pearl raised me, and you guys were best friends, and you were my best friends. I appreciate you so much, and I appreciate Garnet too, but you can’t tell me that this friend group is complete without her! If I can convince Pearl to come back, stuff will be better. Amethyst. I miss her.”

“Miss her? You’ve never even met her!” Amethyst looked angry, but the edge was gone. Steven’s words were working, much to his amazement.

“I know! So I’m guessing you miss her too.”

“Stop.”

“Tell me if I’m wrong.”

Amethyst looked away, her expression softening into disappointment. “You have no idea.”

“I know you still talk to her, Garnet told me.”

She scoffed but didn’t otherwise respond.

“You’re the only one who can help me.”

She said nothing, instead grabbing her phone and shoving it back into her pocket. “I’m hungry, let’s go get those burgers.” She looked over at him, tired. “Is that okay?”

He nodded slowly. “Yeah, that’d be great.”

As they walked out the door, she clapped a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not saying no. But I’m not saying yes yet, either. What I am saying is, push me like that again, Rose will be the first to know, capiche?”

“Capiche.” In spite of himself, Steven smiled. 

“Also, I’m stealing, like, half your fries as payback.”


	10. Chapter 10

The ocean below twinkled in the afternoon sun, the occasional white crest forming and dissipating and forming again by the time it reached the shore. The lighthouse, visible from the whole town, cast its narrow shadow across the cliff’s top, and it was here in the cool grass that Connie and Steven held an after-school picnic.

Waiting was never one of Steven’s strong suits, so when Amethyst had dropped him off that day with a simple “we’ll talk soon”, he had already convinced himself of the worst within the hour. To distract himself, he invited Connie and Peedee over. Unfortunately, Peedee got sick the morning of, leaving Connie and Steven with enough food for four people.

“Your mom really packed a lot,” Connie noted as she grabbed her second sandwich. “She was only expecting the three of us, right?”

Steven rubbed the back of his neck. “You should see breakfast around here.” She laughed a bit at that, pulling a small smile from him. “How goes the orchestra search?”

“Ugh, not at all. Now Mom’s considering one of those go-away summer camps, just for violins. I mean, it’d be fun, but it’s just . . . too much.” She took a bite of her food, frowning. “I really like playing, I just wish I could play some different stuff. Like, there’s so much folk music that uses violin. Or jazz! But my mom would never let me.” Connie let out a long-suffering sigh. “What about you, how are your adults tormenting you?”

It was meant as a bit of snark, that was it. Instead, Steven groaned loudly, flopping onto his back. “I’m trying to find my mom’s ex-best friend even though she told me not to and Amethyst is going to be the one to take me but I don’t know if she will or not so I’m just waiting and it’s tooortuuuure!” He paused, holding his breath. He really hadn’t meant to loop Connie into everything. Oh well.

Connie blinked. “Wow. That’s--That’s a lot.” She blinked again, processing his mini-rant. “Who’s your mom’s ex-best friend?”

Steven quickly sat up, pulling out his phone. Before he had given his mom’s picture back to her, he had discreetly taken a photo of it, which he now showed to Connie. “She’s the only one not looking at the camera. Apparently, there was some huge fight fifteen years ago, but I think it’d be really neat to bring her back and fix it.”

Connie nodded slowly, holding back a grimace. “Is that the best idea? I mean, if she’s been gone for fifteen years, maybe there’s a good reason.”

Steven puffed out his cheeks, a bit frustrated. “I mean, yes. But also, no.” When she looked at him, utterly confused, he took a very deep breath. “Well, yeah, the fact that she hasn’t been around for over a decade is bad. But, you know how sometimes you just know people should be together? Not even in a mushy way, but that certain people need to be near each other?”

She nodded slowly, her cheeks suddenly warm.

“This is what that is. Pearl needs to be back with us, and I’m the only one who can make that happen. Well, me and Amethyst.” He checked his phone, and let out a pitiful whimper. “If she ever makes up her mind!” With that, he resumed his sprawled position on the ground.

Connie nodded, thinking. If Steven had been paying attention, he would have noticed the strange grin on her face. “So . . . you’re like a spy almost!”

That got his attention. Steven sat up quickly, stars in his eyes. “Yeah! On a super secret mission!”

“We need a code, like something in pig latin. At-whay o-day ou-yay ink-thay?”

Steven shrugged, grinning. “That code’s so secret I don’t even know it!” They looked at each other and dissolved into giggles, tickled pink with their decision. 

Once their laughter died down, Connie’s face grew serious again. “Let me know how it goes, okay? I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks.” Steven’s smile was much less goofy than it was moments before. He passed her a juice box and realized that he was staring at her glasses. He still wasn’t quite used to them.

The next day, Steven sat in the living room, reading, when a knock at the door grabbed his attention. He rushed to the door, hoping for and gladly revealing Amethyst. Her hair was even wilder than usual, sticking out to the sides, and she was holding a large energy drink, drumming her fingers around it nervously. The bags under her eyes revealed a sleepless night. 

“Ame--whoa!” He was immediately yanked outside and pulled around to the side of the house.

She glanced around to make sure no one was near.“Alright, we’re doing it.”

“Yes!” Steven pumped his fist, cheering.

“Shhh! I waited until your mom was gone, but I don’t know where Greg is. Be cool!” She stood up straight, looking him in the eye. “Alright. Some ground rules, okay?”

“Okay!”

“If Pearl says no to this, or anything like that, you never bring this up again, got it?” She started tapping her foot, still looking around her as she spoke, paranoid.

“Got it!” Steven saluted, feeling almost like he was about to go on a Crystal Gem mission.

“Second, I’m running pretty much entirely on adrenaline right now.” She shook her drink in Steven’s face to emphasize her point. “If we don’t find her, if she’s not where I think she is, we’re done, got it? My heart can’t do this twice.” 

He frowned, less pleased with that caveat. It really was an all or nothing mission. “Fair.”

“Awesome. Now, we need to give your parents a reason for why we’re taking a day trip into Jersey.”

“And what reason would that be, Amethyst?” Greg asked innocently.

The co-conspirators jumped a foot back, scared witless by Greg’s sudden appearance from around the back of the house. He looked at the two of them, not smiling.

“Um, I have homework? In Jersey.” Steven’s voice barely squeaked out.

“Homework in Jersey.” Greg’s expression was eerily neutral, none of his usual jovialness shining through.

“Yeah, he has to take pictures of landmarks, and he asked me to drive him.” Amethyst and Steven pressed close together, both looking quite guilty. For a minute, Greg said nothing, simply looking back and forth at the two in front of him. Steven was sweating bullets, and Amethyst, quite frankly, looked terrible. Slowly, however, he broke into a knowing smile.

“Hey, sounds like a fun trip. Will your car make it okay?”

Amethyst’s jaw dropped, but no sound came out. “Y-yeah, just fine.”

“Great! Hey, Stuball, don’t worry about asking your mom. I’ll talk to her for you.” He bit his lip, clearly thinking of something to say, but nothing came to him. With that, he shrugged and brushed past them, ruffling both of their hair. Steven and Amethyst turned to look at each other with eyes the size of saucers.

“What was that?” he hissed. Amethyst just shook her head.

“Your dad was just elevated to Bro Amongst Bros status. We owe him for pretty much forever now.”

Steven just stared a bit more, still baffled by what had just happened. “Agreed.” He shook his head, stunned. “So, now what?”

“Now, you get anything you might need to take to Jersey. We’ll leave here bright and early Saturday morning. Pearl was always a morning person, so the sooner we get there, the better.” She sighed, suddenly, looking over at him. “Are you really sure you want to do this? You can always suddenly rely on common sense and say no, really.” When Steven shook his head violently, she sighed again. “Yeah, figured as much. Welp, I’m headed home to take a nap. See you Saturday!”

Steven watched Amethyst leave and couldn’t help but smile to himself. Finally, things were looking up.


	11. Chapter 11

Steven sneezed for the third time in just as many minutes, sniffling miserably. He swore to himself that he’d never live in the city. 

Saturday morning had been smooth. Greg had done his part and talked to Rose, who had even gone so far as to let Steven borrow her old instamatic camera for his pictures. She had packed the two of them sandwiches the size of his head, and sat with him on their front porch while they waited for Amethyst.

“So, Steven, are you excited to go into Jersey? I don’t think you’ve ever been.” 

“Very.” He hummed a bit to himself, kicking his legs. Nervous energy was the only thing keeping him awake. 

“And you have your phone to keep us posted?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Lunch is in your backpack?”

“Yup!”

Rose smiled and slipped an arm around her son, pulling him into a smothering hug. “Thank you for asking Amethyst to take you. She called the other day and told me about how worried you were getting.”

Steven flushed, smiling in a way he hoped was casual. “It’s nothing. I’m just glad you two were able to talk about it.”

“Me too. Frankly, we should have talked much sooner than this, but it can be hard. Leave it to you to save the day, right, Steven?” She winked at him, leaning back onto her arms. “You’ve always had to fix everything. I remember when you were little, maybe four or five. Your dad dropped a hammer on his toe, and you rushed off, only to come back with a roll of toilet paper because that’s what bandages look like in the movies!” She ended her story with a laugh, which Steven gladly joined in on. At least he was kind here too. 

They were interrupted by the sound of old brakes squealing and Amethyst leaning into her horn. “Yo! Ready to go?”

“Just one second!” Steven turned back to his mom, hugging her tight. “See you soon.”

“Alright. I love you.”

“I love you too, mom.” He still hadn’t gotten tired of saying that. She kissed him on the head and he was off, nearly tripping down the stairs as he ran over to Amethyst. She drove an old pickup truck with one of the mirrors held tenuously in place with duct tape. Steven hopped in and, before he could say anything, was greeted with a cup of warm gas station coffee.

“Amethyst, you’re an angel.”

She cackled at his praise. “Hardly. Just promise me you won’t be bouncing off the ceilings with that. Sip it!”

The drive had started off lovely, with the greenery of Delmarva rushing by in an emerald blur. Now, however, they were passing through the haze of Jersey’s cities, and Steven was face to face with something he had never had to consider before: pollution.

He sneezed again, causing Amethyst to jump. “Bless you! Geez, are you good?”

Steven nodded. He tried to say that he was fine, but his runny nose made it come out sounding like “I’b fime.”

“Ew, dude. Don’t worry, we’ll be zipping through pretty soon.”

There was a loud sniffle from Steven, causing Amethyst to grimace again. “How far away is she anyways?”

“Well, we’ve been driving for about three hours? Shouldn’t be too much longer.”

Steven frowned. “She really lives this close to us? I can’t believe it’s been fifteen years.”

“Hey man, you could lose yourself in Beach City if you wanted to. Besides, this area is her home. You’re lucky that she didn’t go deep into Empire City or across the country or something.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Steven’s nose began to burn again, and he sneezed violently. “I just wanna get out of here.”

“Working on it!” 

Eventually, the city gave way to more greenery, although it was nowhere near as lush as Delmarva’s. They had entered a small town, the name on a sign that they had passed too fast for Steven to read. Red brick and baby blue houses all sat in slightly crooked rows, their little lawns rarely consisting of more than a skinny tree and some appropriate grass. Amethyst began to drive in circles, cursing to herself as she kept checking her phone.

“She better not have moved, I’ll be pretty pissed otherwise. Ugh, these houses all look the same! How am I supposed to--”

“Found her!”

Amethyst stared out Steven’s window at yet another blue house. This one, however, had something approaching a lawn. Beautiful beds of tulips lined the house itself, while a peach tree was doing pretty well for itself a little further out. More eye-catching were the fountains: three of them, each one too ornate for the humble neighborhood. They were obviously well-cared for, with nary a spot of green in sight.

“Yeah, that’s probably her,” Amethyst mumbled. She grabbed Steven’s shirt as he nearly tumbled out of the car. “Seriously. Last chance to turn back.”

“I know.” With that, he bounded out of the car, followed at a distance by Amethyst, now biting her nails. As he walked up to the door, however, he paused. He wasn’t sure what to expect--he had purposely avoided thinking about what would happen. Now, it was literally in front of him. What would he do if Pearl slammed the door in his face? If she thanked him for his efforts and disappeared all over again? Amethyst had made it clear, it was all or nothing. He could only hope for all.

He stole a look at Amethyst, who gave him a shaky thumbs-up, and turned back to the door, forcing himself to knock before he completely lost his nerve. For a few seconds, the only sound he could hear was the silence left after his knuckles left the wood. Then, quietly, there were footsteps. The door pulled back, and Pearl stepped forward.

In the picture he had seen of Pearl, she looked remarkably like how she did at home. Here, however, fifteen years of separation had made their mark known. Her hair, a light peach color, was now down well past her shoulders, tied back into a loose ponytail. She wore a blue striped button-up, french-tucked into her jeans. Steven could see the faintest beginnings of crow’s feet at the corners of her wide eyes, and she was no longer as thin as a rail.

She was staring at him, without blinking, and Steven could feel all the blood in his body rush to his cheeks.

“Um. Hello.” He waved awkwardly. “I’m St--” That was all he got out before he was suddenly being picked up and spun around in a hug that put all of Amethyst’s rib-crushers to shame.

“Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod! It’s you, it’s you!” Pearl repeated these two sentence fragments over and over again, tears running down her cheeks. She finally stopped spinning, and now stood, still holding him tight, crying quietly. “Steven. How did you know I was here? How do you even know I exist?” She lifted her eyes, looking around for the nearest adult, instead seeing Amethyst. Steven was nearly shoved out of the way as she ran to her, colliding into her with another deadly hug.

“Dude, dude! You’re gonna choke me to death!” Despite her protests, Amethyst was holding onto Pearl just as tight, not bothering to hide her own tears.

“I can’t believe you’re here. I _ really _ can’t believe he’s here.” Pearl eventually pulled away from Amethyst, wiping her eyes. “Please, come inside. I was just about to make some tea.” She held the door open for her guests, watching them in continued disbelief as they slowly entered her home. 

Her house was small, and very Pearl. The walls were painted in a pastel peach color, with watercolors of flowers hung sporadically. The kitchen led directly into the living room, which had a small loveseat facing directly across from a cushiony wingback chair. As Steven looked around, he couldn’t see any photos hanging anywhere.

“So, Amethyst, do you still like green tea?” Pearl moved around quickly, her smile shaky on her face. Although she spoke to Amethyst, her gaze never left Steven, as if she was afraid of looking away, in case he disappeared for another fifteen years. 

“Yeah, still do.” Amethyst spoke quietly, almost shyly. 

“And you, Steven?” His name sounded strange on Pearl’s lips.

“Just some water, please.” 

“Right.” Pearl quickly made everyone’s drinks, the only sound in her kitchen coming from drawers being opened and closed and spoons clattering against mugs. Once everyone had their beverage, she ushered them into the living room, sitting in her chair while Amethyst and Steven sat side by side on the loveseat. For several minutes, they all stared at each other, sipping quietly, no one sure of what to say.

After Steven had nearly finished his water, he cleared his throat, startling the two women. “So. . .” He opened and closed his mouth a few times, at a loss for words. He just couldn’t handle the silence anymore.

Luckily, once he had broken the silence, Pearl seemed willing to speak. “Seriously, Steven, what brings you here? Why did Amethyst bring you?” She looked back and forth at the two of them.

“Dude, I didn’t bring him anywhere, he brought me along.” Pearl’s attention shifted solely back to Steven.

“So, did your mom tell you about me, is that it?”

“No . . . She doesn’t even know I’m here.”

Pearl nearly choked on her tea. “What?” She looked at Amethyst for an answer, then back at him. “Who knows you’re here?”

“Amethyst.” He pointed at her, obvious.“And I think my dad knows I’m somewhere I shouldn’t be. Oh, and my friend Connie.” He counted out the names on his fingers, surprised at how many people knew.

Pearl let out a dry chuckle. “Why am I not surprised that Greg would approve of this? He’s a good man.”

Amethyst raised an eyebrow. “Really, now?”

“Yes, he is.”

“That’s not what you said fifteen years ago.”

“I said a lot of things fifteen years ago.” Pearl’s tone was suddenly curt, but she angled herself away from her guests. “I said too much, quite frankly.”

“Actually, that’s part of why we’re here,” Steven interjected shakily. “Why did you leave?”

Pearl and Amethyst looked at each other, the one looking panicked, the other’s face deadly cool. Silence fell upon the three again, until Pearl stood up, too anxious to sit.

“Steven, I don’t know what your mom has and hasn’t told you, so bear with me if I happen to repeat anything, okay?” She popped her knuckles as she spoke, not looking at anyone. “I met your mom a very long time ago, back when she called herself ‘Pink’. You know that she used a different name for a while, right?” When Steven nodded, she swallowed hard. “Well, your mom was one of my best friends. I-- I loved her.”

Steven nodded slowly, before his eyes widened. “Wait. Loved her like a friend, or--”

“Or.” Pearl’s face was bright red. “Maybe not what you were expecting to hear, but I want to be as honest with you as I can be. Well, your mom eventually realized what was happening, and she graciously told me that it wouldn’t work. And . . . I was fine with that.” Pearl wrapped her arms around herself, looking increasingly embarrassed. “And your mom dated other people, and that was fine. Then--then she met Greg. That was a little less fine, but I was still good friends with your mom.” She risked a glance over at Amethyst, quickly looking away when she saw how hurt her friend looked. “When they married, it was very hard for me. I was still very supportive of your mom, but I was young and selfish, and I began to pull away.” Pearl’s eyes began to water, and she couldn’t continue.

Steven, however, understood immediately. “And then I was born.”

Pearl sat back down slowly, shame painting her face. “Yes. I lost it. I got into a huge fight with your mom, and everyone else, and I ran away, like a coward.” 

Steven sat staring at the floor, numb. Pearl reached out to put her hand on his and he flinched, causing her to pull back immediately. 

He remembered the look on her face when she had found out about Lion. She had fled with Rose’s scabbard, and he had made a true leap of faith for her. He would never admit it to anyone, but he still dreamt about it sometimes; the hurt, the anger in her eyes as she stared him down. He was a poor replacement for Rose. Here, Pearl just looked penitent, but the feeling was the same. He had once again stolen away Rose, in a way that shouldn’t have been his fault. He honestly couldn’t decide if the fact that this wasn’t his Pearl made the whole thing hurt more or less.

Before he could think any more, Pearl suddenly jumped up, panicked. “Wait here. Please. Don’t leave.” She ran into a back room, and Steven and Amethyst could hear things being pushed around with some violence. After a loud slamming sound, she ran back in, panting heavily. In her hands was a tattered shoebox, worn in spots. “Here. This is yours.” She awkwardly thrust it into Steven’s hands, and he took it gingerly.

He opened the box slowly, revealing two stacks of paper. The first one was all the photos so conspicuously missing from the house. Her and Garnet, draped over each other with red plastic cups in hand. Her and Amethyst arm wrestling, Amethyst clearly losing. Her and Pink laughing at a karaoke night. Her and Pink dressed up as punks for Halloween. Her and Rose, smiling calmly at the camera, both looking tired.

The second stack was envelopes, each one dated in immaculate penmanship, each one bearing the label of “Steven U.”. He rifled through them slowly, amazed at how many there were. They stretched back to shortly after his birth, sometimes written a few days apart, sometimes several months bridging them. He took the first one and carefully opened it, revealing a letter:

_ Dear Steven, _

_ You’ll never read this. _

_ It’s funny. Before you were born, this seemed like--well, maybe not a good decision, but the right one, at least. You weren’t really part of the equation yet. I wasn’t even sure if you were Steven yet, or if you were going to be Nora. _

_ Amethyst sent me a picture of you. I’m surprised that she reached out, but I’m more surprised at how much you look like your parents. You have the best of both of them. I can almost understand what Rose sees in Greg. Almost. _

_ I don’t think we’ll ever meet. If we do, I hope you understand why I left. I couldn’t be around Rose anymore. I couldn’t be around Greg anymore. I’m not sorry for taking care of myself, but I am sorry for how it turned out. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be able to reach out and fix this whole mess. I’m not ready to do anything like that yet, of course, but I suppose that it is a possibility, albeit slim. _

_ I don’t know if I’ll write any more of these letters. Probably not. _

_ \--Pearl _

Steven frowned, daring to look up at Pearl. She looked back at him desperately, waving her hand at him. 

“Please. That first letter was written fifteen years ago. Keep going.”

Steven reached into the middle of the pile. The date put it when he was about seven or eight.

_ Dear Steven, _

_ You’ll never read this. _

_ Another letter, another day I haven’t called your mom, or anyone else besides Amethyst. Even those conversations seem to flicker in and out, unless she’s been drinking. Then I’m either a hero or the devil. Even I’m not sure which anymore. _

_ It was easy to be young and stupid, as I’m sure you’ll learn eventually. The hard part is growing up and realizing that you might have been wrong. Or that you certainly were wrong. I can honestly say that there’s not a week that passes that I don’t regret how everything happened, and, increasingly of late, the fact that anything happened at all. _

_ I think I used you, as an excuse. It’s easy to blame someone who isn’t actually there. Then Amethyst had to send me your picture, make you a reality instead of a symbol. I’m glad she did. _

_ I’ve been thinking of reaching out to Garnet. Maybe she’d understand. _

_ I’m too tired to write much more. I hope I’ll be able to see you someday. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Pearl _

Steven immediately tore into the most recent letter, only dimly aware that it was dated to the night he woke up in a familiar stranger’s apartment.

_ Dear Steven, _

_ You’ll never read this. _

_ When I wrote that first letter, I was serious, that you’d never read these letters. Even in the faint chance that we met, which I disbelieved in quite thoroughly, what good would it do me to give these letters to you? What were they besides the insecure diary of a petulant Pearl? Then, it became an inside joke between us, or rather with myself. Because, surely, we were going to meet soon. I would call Rose or Garnet, and it would be a rocky yet certain road. _

_ Now, that irony is gone, and even bleaker than when I first wrote it. _

_ I’ve missed out on your entire childhood. You’re now a young man, and soon you’ll just be a man, and I will have missed out on your entire life. There will be no one to blame except myself. _

_ I tried to call Garnet a few years ago, and she let me know how bad I had hurt her and Rose and everyone around me with how selfish I had been. I tried to ask about you, but she told me that you had never even heard my name. That hurt far more than I thought it would have. _

_ Steven, if, somehow, we do ever meet, I need you to know how sorry I am. I realize that you may not want to hear it, and I don’t blame you. But I am sorry, for what I did to everyone around you, and for what I did to you, whether you realize it or not. _

_ I don’t think we will meet. I hope we do. _

_ Love, _

_ Pearl _

Steven wiped at his eyes, tears dropping onto the paper in his hands. Amethyst sat with her legs tucked under her chin, pulled tight into the corner of the couch. Pearl watched Steven, her own eyes watering.

“Steven, please.” she whispered hoarsely. “I’m so sorry. I gave up on something I can never get back, and I beat myself up every day for it. Please, let me make things right.” She took his hands in hers. This time, he didn’t flinch. Instead, he squeezed her hands, looking up at her with a very tired smile.

“That’s not up to me, Pearl.” He stood up, leading her over to Amethyst, who refused to look at either of them. “Amethyst, do you want Pearl to come back?”

She looked down at the floor, tracing shapes with her finger on the couch. “Steven, she abandoned us without so much as a goodbye. You weren’t there for it. You didn’t hear Garnet cry!”

“Do you want Pearl to come back?” He barely whispered his question, yet did so with a resolute fierceness.

Slowly, Amethyst lifted her head, looking at Pearl, her lip quivering. Finally, she stood up, wrapping her arms around her old friend and nearly squeezing the life out of her.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

Steven stood back a little, wiping his eyes, smiling with pride. One down, two to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a long one! Thank you so much for your patience; obviously, this month has been a little weird.


	12. Chapter 12

On the way to meet Pearl, Steven had briefly thought about what the drive back would be like, in terms of failure and success. Would he be sitting next to Amethyst, silently confronting what would then be considered his huge mistake? Or would he be sitting in the back seat, happily resting his eyes as Pearl and Amethyst picked up where they left off, old friends back together? As it turned out, neither.

“So! I heard Amethyst mention someone named Connie?” Pearl sat next to him in the backseat, her eyes wide with excitement and nerves as they drew closer to Beach City. Amethyst drove, her expression a learned approximation of Garnet’s practiced blankness. Steven, in the hot seat, blushed. 

“Yeah, she’s just my friend. We’ve been hanging out more lately, that’s all.” 

“Oh, how precious! I remember my girlfriends when I was your age. Well, my  _ girl  _ friends. Some girlfriends too.” She glanced back at him for a moment, sheepish. “Sorry for talking so much. I’m just excited to see what’s new in town. It’s been so long!”

Amethyst snorted. “Dude, it’s Beach City. Literally the only thing that’s changed is that Aqua-Mexican closed.” She sighed, mournfully. “I wore black for a month.”

“I’m sure.” Pearl began to fidget with the hem of her shirt. “And school? That’s going alright? No teachers giving you a hard time? Because--”

“Ohmigod! Pearl!” Amethyst snapped. “That’s the fourth time you’ve asked him that, and it’ll be the  _ fifth _ time he’s said it’s fine!”

“I’m sorry! I just want to make sure everything’s okay!” Pearl’s cheeks flushed bright red. She opened her mouth for another retort, but was stopped by Steven placing his hand on hers.

“It’s fine. Both of you.” He looked up at her, giving her a reassuring smile that nonetheless frayed at the edges. Pearl caught Amethyst’s gaze in the rearview mirror, and they both fell quiet, no one saying another word until they saw the sign for Beach City.

For an hour, Amethyst lazily drove around town, making a show of telling Pearl about how much had changed, despite her earlier protests. Pearl and Steven didn’t argue in the slightest, simply oohing and ahhing at the various mom-and-pop businesses. As the car drew nearer and nearer to Steven’s house, however, their excitement grew feebler and feebler, until they were barely able to rouse a peep for the arcade. By the time the car stopped, everyone was deathly silent. Pearl let out a weak groan and slid down into her seat, covering her face.

“I can’t believe I’m here. This is unreal.” She looked over at Steven and let out an awkward chuckle. “Your parents have taken very good care of the house.” He forced a small grin, and Pearl threw her arms over her eyes, moaning mournfully.

Amethyst said nothing, tapping her thumbs on the steering wheel. Finally, she turned the car on, peeling away from the beach house. “Right! We’re not doing Rose first.”

Pearl and Steven wore matching expressions, their eyes wide enough to take up most of their faces. “Wha’?” 

“Look, as much as I want to march in to swelling, triumphant music, the numbers are a little shaky right now. We need a plus one if we’re going to sway Rose.” Amethyst muttered her last few words, her face growing bright red. 

Pearl looked back and forth between Steven and Amethyst, until it struck her who they were going to see. “Oh, God. I think Rose would be easier.”

“Probably,” Amethyst admitted. Her expression was grim as they pulled into parking for Garnet’s apartment.

Inside, the trio nearly tiptoed to her door. Every time someone walked by, they held their breath, sure they were about to be caught without explanation by Sapphire or accosted by a vengeful Ruby. Somehow, they made it without dying of heart attacks.

“Okay, Pearl, you stand a little behind us. We need her to actually open the door.” Steven spoke with false confidence, hoping the others didn’t see how nervous he was.

Amethyst nodded in agreement, wiping her palms on her jeans. Steven did the same and knocked on Garnet’s door loudly, making Pearl yelp and jump back.

Garnet’s footsteps could be heard, muffled, as she approached the door. She opened it to see Amethyst, grinning painfully wide, and Steven with pit stains.

“Hello..? I didn’t expect to see you two today.”

“Oh, we just thought we’d drop by with some good news.” Steven spoke through gritted teeth, forcing himself to look straight ahead.

“That’s always nice,” Garnet murmured kindly. “What have you brought me today?”

Amethyst reached over and grabbed Pearl’s wrist, yanking her from out of view and standing her front and center. Pearl was too stunned to do much of anything, and flicked her wrist, an attempt at waving. 

For a few moments, dead silence filled the hallway as the two former friends stared at each other. Garnet’s expression was the blankest Steven had ever seen, carved out of carefully picked stone. Pearl’s face flitted between shame and embarrassed joy. Finally, Garnet cleared her throat.

“Pearl, please step in. Amethyst, Steven, you can wait in the lobby.” She turned and walked back into her apartment, not bothering to close the door. Pearl timidly moved forward, her knees nearly buckling as she closed the door behind her. Amethyst immediately grabbed Steven’s hand, and she began to march back downstairs.

“Wait, should we--”

“Nope.” 

“But Pearl--”

“Nope.”

“I kinda wanted--”

“Nope.” Amethyst said nothing else, patiently herding Steven to the ground floor, where they sat on uncomfortable benches. 

“Well, how long do you think they’ll talk?”

“Knowing Garnet? It’ll probably be a few hours. Still, we should probably stay here, just so we don’t abandon Pearl.” She clicked her tongue, thinking. “Maybe there’s time for smoothies, though.”

“I guess.” Steven sat, staring at his feet. “Amethyst, do you think I did the right thing here?”

Amethyst let out a guffaw. “Dude,  _ now _ you’re asking that? I don’t know if it can really matter at this point, do you?” Steven’s expression grew dark, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. “Okay, okay. Let me put it this way. Do you really think I would have agreed to drive you around if I didn’t think something good could happen today?”

“I guess. I just thought that it’d be . . .”

“Easy?”

“Yeah!”

Amethyst ruffled his hair. “No, you didn’t. But you hoped it would be. Heck, I’m still hoping it’ll be easy. But these are issues that are literally older than you. It’s not going to be fixed in twelve minutes, nothing worth it is.”

Steven nodded, his bleak expression warming up a little. “I just hope that Garnet forgives her.”

“You and me both. We’ll just wait and--”

“Wait for what?” Pearl and Garnet came up from behind, both with puffy eyes and huge grins.

Amethyst bolted to her feet. “What?! Dude, how did you talk so fast?”

“Eh. We didn’t really talk, we just kind of cried in each other’s arms for a few minutes.” Pearl chuckled, not at all embarrassed.

Garnet walked over to Steven, placing her hand on his shoulder. “If Pearl had appeared by herself, it might have gone differently. Maybe. I don’t know. But how could it not be okay if she was with you?”

Steven beamed up at her, a weight lifting from his chest. “Thank you.”

“Believe me, it was my pleasure.” She looked over at her friends. “Beach house?”

A faint buzzing sound interrupted the moment. Steven grabbed his phone, his face turning sheet-white when he saw the twelve messages and four missed calls. “I think we better,” he barely mumbled.


	13. Chapter 13

Amethyst’s car rolled shamefully up to the beach house, the four conspirators all blanching as they saw Rose waiting for them with hands on her hips. As the car stopped, her eyes narrowed, and Amethyst let out an involuntary shudder. Pearl looked like she was seeing a ghost.

Steven swallowed loudly. He had gone head to head with an eyeless gem that stole the world’s oceans, and watched that gem fuse into a monster bigger than his house. He had felt the pain of the Cluster at the center of the world when it threatened to turn his entire existence into atoms. It all very nearly paled at the one time he defied Garnet, slapping her visor from her face; now, however, he had found a new benchmark for fear. He looked at the others and nodded slowly before stepping out of the car. He cautiously walked up to Rose, looking down at his feet.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Steven DeMayo Universe, do not ‘hi’ me. I’ve been trying to call you all day, and heard nothing back. Do you have any idea how terrifying that is for your father and me? To watch you disappear into another state and not hear from you?”

Steven flinched. This was a new, unpleasant experience.“I’m sorry, it’s just--”

“It’s just what?” She glared down at him, worry shining in her eyes in the rare moments her anger cooled. “I swear if you say you were just busy . . .” She looked up at the car, squinting. “Where’s Amethyst? She’s in trouble too.”

Steven turned and waved at the vehicle, using two fingers to do so. Amethyst and Garnet appeared, walking over just as slowly as Steven had.

“Hello, Rose,” they chorused.

“I don’t even know why you’re here, Garnet, but  _ Amethyst _ . It never crossed your mind to check your phone either?”

Amethyst mumbled something, and Rose flushed bright red. 

“ _ What? _ ”

“I didn’t bring my phone.”

Rose pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a puff of air. “Do you two understand why I’m so angry? What if there was a car accident? What if something had gone wrong? I’d have no idea! You’re supposed to be the responsible adults here.” She glanced over at Amethyst, disappointment now her primary expression. “We’re going to talk later. Maybe I need to rethink how much you see Steven if this is what I should expect.”

Amethyst made a choking sound, and Steven immediately reached out for his mom’s hand, his face pale.

“Mom. I’m sorry I didn’t check my phone. That was my fault, but the truth is that today was . . . Busy doesn’t even begin to cover it.” When she opened her mouth to respond, he looked up at her earnestly. “It doesn’t sound like a good excuse, but at least wait to get me in trouble for the right thing. Don’t take this out on Amethyst or Garnet.”

Rose’s expression went from confusion to cold shock as he turned around and motioned to Amethyst’s car, where Pearl gingerly got out. She approached them, taking a step every few seconds, as though worried that Rose might charge her. After it became clear that wouldn’t happen, she bridged the gap, standing next to Steven. 

Pearl opened and closed her mouth a few times, no words escaping her. Rose didn’t bother trying to say anything, only staring at her with wide eyes. The only sound was the ocean behind them brushing up against the shore. The other three watched, not wanting to intervene in any way. Finally, Pearl managed to speak.

“H-hi, Rose,” she croaked, her knees visibly shaking. 

Rose didn’t reply, still staring. 

“It’s, um, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Pearl forced out a chuckle, staring down at her feet. “I-I realize that it may be a shock seeing me.”

“Just a little,” Rose whispered hoarsely. She looked down at Steven, her expression unreadable, before slowly turning to face Pearl again. “So. Now what? Want to come in, we can share some wine, laugh about the good old days?” Her voice slowly returned as she spoke, sharply cutting at the woman in front of her.

“N-no, I--”

“Oh! Maybe I can show you Steven’s baby photos, I’m sure you’d  _ love _ to see those!” Rose took a step forward, her fists clenched. “Does that sound fun? I should have some of his old art stuffed away somewhere too, we can go over that. Why not? Let’s just play catch up on  _ the last fifteen years! _ ” Rose lost any semblance of calm, her voice raw as she shouted the last few words, tears streaming down her face. “Why are you here? Do you honestly think you can just walk up to me and expect stuff to be okay? It won’t be!”

“I know!” Pearl’s eyes were watering, but she was somehow not crying. She hugged herself tight, as if she was about to fall over and needed to keep herself upright. “I know it won’t be okay, I’m not expecting that. I just-- I needed to tell you I’m sorry. I should have done this years ago, and you have no reason to accept it now, but I’m sorry, Rose. I’m sorry for abandoning you like I did. I’m sorry I was selfish and a coward.”

Rose laughed drily. “What do you want me to say, Pearl? I was so excited to share the rest of my life with my friends, especially you. I was so excited to see Steven grow up surrounded by his family, and you rejected that. If you had just turned me away, I might be more forgiving. But you rejected Greg, you rejected Amethyst and Garnet--” Her voice cracked, and she took a deep breath-- “and worst of all, you rejected Steven. What mother would be okay with that?”

Pearl said nothing. Her shoulders sank, and her knees nearly buckled. She looked over at Amethyst and Garnet, who stood silently, looking back and forth at their two friends, unsure of how to feel. Garnet’s face was drawn into a grim expression, while Amethyst more openly wore her worry. Steven stood back a little, horrified. She slowly turned back to Rose, who wore the same expression of unrecognized grief as her.

When she spoke again, it was barely a whisper. “I wasn’t expecting to be forgiven immediately, or for even a long time. I--”

“It won’t be ever, Pearl.”

Everyone standing there could almost hear her heart break. “I understand.” She turned back to Amethyst, shame painting her face. “Would you be able to drive me home?”

“It’s late, you can just spend the night with me. Let’s go.” Amethyst took Pearl’s hand in hers and slowly walked back to the truck, Garnet silently tailing behind. None of them bothered with a second glance backwards. They got in the vehicle, slamming their doors, and quickly disappeared, leaving Steven standing next to his mom.

“Steven, go to your room. I’ll be inside in a moment to talk to you.” There was no anger left in her voice, only exhaustion. 

“Mom--”

“Now.”

Steven looked at where the truck had been before turning to walk into the house. Rose tried to rest a hand on his shoulder; he shrugged it off and continued inside, hot tears stinging the corners of his eyes. At that exact moment, he didn’t care what she had to say. He dimly heard his name being called but broke into a run, his tears finally running free, down his face and dripping from his chin. He dashed up the stairs and shoved the screen door open, letting it slam behind him with a sound like a gunshot, leaving his mom standing in the sand, alone.


	14. Chapter 14

There was a quiet knock on Steven’s door. He pulled his sheets tight around himself, burying as deep as possible into his bed. When the knock came again, he held his breath, wondering if she’d go away if he was perfectly silent. To his disappointment, the door slowly creaked open. Feet slowly padded in, and he felt the bed shift as she sat at the foot of his bed. 

“Where do you want to start?” Rose still sounded exhausted and hurt. When there was no response, she let out a sigh that ended in a small groan. “Well, let’s start with the fact that you lied to me and went behind my back. That’s . . . I’m very disappointed in you.”

Steven bit his tongue, trying hard to keep silent. He didn’t want to start crying. 

“Did you think I would forgive her if you just--just showed up with her? That’s not how this works!” Rose stood up, sounding angry again. “We haven’t spoken in fifteen years; why would I suddenly feel warm towards her?”

Steven whispered something.

“I can’t hear you.”

“I--I thought that if you saw that we had forgiven her, you would too.”

Rose said nothing for a beat. “Steven. I told you. This isn’t your battle. This wasn’t up to you to forgive her, for me or for anyone else. If Garnet and Amethyst want to, good for them, I’ll try to figure that out later. But . . .” She broke off, and Steven could hear nothing. She sat back down on the bed, and Steven felt her hand rest on his shoulder. “This wasn’t yours to fix, and thinking that you could make it yours to fix is wrong.” 

Steven pulled the sheets tighter around himself. “She wants to fix it.”

“Well, if she didn’t break it, there’d be nothing to fix,” Rose muttered darkly. “Besides, she’s clearly been doing fine for the last fifteen years, and so have we. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing to fix.”

A small lightbulb went off in Steven’s head, and he sat up slowly, finally showing his face to his mom. “No, Mom. No one’s been ‘fine’ since Pearl left.”

“Stev--”

“Look at Amethyst. She’s been so torn up in the middle that you were losing her as a friend without realizing it. And Garnet forgave Pearl faster than Amethyst did. The only reason she’s been swallowing her anger is because she’s so loyal to you.” Steven tried to choose his words carefully, but his frustration loosened his tongue. “She has no pictures in her house, Mom. They’re all sitting in a shoebox, next to the letters she’s written me for the last fifteen years. No one’s moved on. No one’s been even willing to talk about it until I brought it up! That’s not ‘fine’!”

Rose stared at her son, swallowing thickly. Although she tried to keep a stern expression, Steven could see something else flitting in the background. Guilt.

“Can you honestly tell me that you’ve moved on, Mom? If you can look me in the eyes and say that you have, I’ll admit I was wrong, and I’ll let myself be grounded for forever.” Steven’s voice wavered a little, but he held strong. 

Rose looked down at her feet, saying nothing. Every time she would look over at Steven, she’d flush red and immediately look away. In spite of himself, Steven couldn’t help but grin a little.

“Just because I miss her doesn’t mean that I should forgive her.”

“True. But if there is a time to forgive her, it’s now. There may not be another chance.”

Rose was silent for a full five minutes. Finally, without a word, she stood up slowly.

“We’re going to Amethyst’s.”

She walked over to the door and opened it, only to reveal Greg nearly falling backwards.

“Hey, guys!” Rose shot him a daggered look and breezed by him. He looked over at Steven and gave a shaky thumbs-up. “So, Amethyst’s?”

Steven rubbed the back of his neck. “Dad . . . Did you know-- Um, did--”

“What, that you might have been searching for Pearl with Amethyst’s help, and that there was never any homework? Didn’t have a clue.” He flashed a sheepish grin and quickly followed on his wife’s heels, leaving Steven to follow, more than a little amused.

The drive to Amethyst’s was silent. Rose and Greg would occasionally shoot each other cryptic looks, and both would glance back at Steven, Greg looking incredulous and Rose increasingly doubtful. When they came to a stop sign, Rose didn’t pull forward until Greg set his hand on hers, flashing her a reassuring smile.

When they pulled up to Amethyst’s apartment, Rose sat, tapping her fingers on the wheel. “Greg, you and Steven stay here, okay? I’ll be right back.” She didn’t look back as she slowly walked up to the door, knocking with some trepidation.

The windows were rolled up, and Steven couldn’t hear what was going on. He saw the door open slowly, revealing a shocked Amethyst. Her mouth moved a little, and she stepped back, allowing Pearl to step forward. Her expression was cautious, borderline fearful. She mouthed something.  _ Hi _ . Rose was turned enough away from him that he couldn’t see her expression clearly, but she held onto herself tightly, and Steven could tell from even this far away that she was clearly ready to run back to the car.

Pearl said something else, her mouth moving mutely, her gaze pointed down at the ground, away from Rose. If Steven squinted, he could see Amethyst and Garnet hovering in the back, clearly unsure what was happening. Rose tilted her head to one side, then looked away, her eyes briefly meeting Steven’s. The guilt that had been carefully hidden earlier was now on full display. When she turned back to her former friend, her arms slowly fell away from her sides. She motioned at Pearl, a casual, open-handed gesture. Pearl slowly looked up, making eye-contact. 

Steven and Greg both held their breath, their noses pressed to the glass. Steven felt a giddy sort of pride rushing through him. After the fight he had witnessed, seeing them talk was almost more than he could ask for.

Pearl spoke some more, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. When Rose responded, it quickly died away, but she didn’t seem dispirited. She responded, now talking with her hands, slow, careful gestures that punctuated her unheard words. Rose took a small step back, but stood firmly now. They both stood tall now, unafraid of each other.

Rose said something, and Pearl’s face was stony for a beat. Steven and Greg gasped for air when she slowly stuck her hand out. They couldn’t help but let out a whoop when Rose responded with a hug; not one of Amethyst’s bone-crushers, but one that seemed just as solid in its own right. As if on cue, Garnet and Amethyst spilled out from behind Pearl, hugging their old friends tight in a way that hadn’t been done in fifteen years.

Greg clapped Steven on the back, telling him something about how proud he was. Steven didn’t hear a word. He suddenly felt very tired, like he had just completed the world’s longest Crystal Gem mission. He sighed and slumped back into his seat, a big smile on his face. As he watched his mom and everyone else through the window, the only thing he could think of was whether or not Pearl liked Together Breakfast. He really hoped she did.


	15. Chapter 15

The following month was a rocky one, to be sure. Before any of this happened, Steven would have probably expected a magical sort of reunion, with old bonds immediately reforged. That didn’t happen. More than once, he walked in on his mom hanging up the phone with a tired look on her face, or found Pearl staring at them all as if they were alien creatures or a dream that wasn’t quite yet believable. Everyone had to adjust.

Certain changes were immediately apparent, however. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl were now at his house almost every day, except for when he had a test the next day, something Rose was firm on. Trips to Fish Stew Pizza were now more frequent than ever, now that Pearl helped Rose come up with a spreadsheet for her unending challenge to Kofi. Each of his aunts took turns taking him to school and picking him up. Garnet smiled more. Amethyst seemed on better terms than ever with Rose. After watching the upward curve for a month, Steven decided it was time to celebrate with a trip to the movies.

“How many Dogcopter films are there now? It feels like twenty.” Peedee complained good-naturedly. 

“And it still wouldn’t be enough!” Steven let out a whoop as they walked past the ticket-taker, stuffing the stub in his pocket to throw away later.

“I don’t know, maybe someday the world will have had enough of Dogcopter,” Connie mused. “Lucky for us, that day is not today.” The three laughed at Connie’s comment and entered the dark theatre. They made their way up to the back corner, joking quietly until a family on the next row down shot them a warning look.

“So, how’s everything with Pearl?” Connie whispered as the previews flashed large in front of them.

“It’s getting there. She and Mom are supposed to go shopping together this weekend. They’ve only done that, like, once since she came back. She’s still a little awkward, but that might just be Pearl.” 

Connie smirked. “What I really want to know is how you aren’t grounded.”

“It was only for a week. Which was several years shorter than originally promised, so I think I got off pretty easy.” Steven grinned as he remembered the last day of being grounded: the six of them had gone on a picnic.

Peedee gently shushed them as the film started. After the opening credits, Connie leaned over to whisper to Steven.

“For what it’s worth, I’m proud of you.” She leaned back into her seat, but not before taking Steven’s hand in hers.

When the credits rolled two hours later, their fingers were still intertwined. Peedee saw but said nothing, only winking at Steven and mouthing “school dance” as they got up from their seats to leave. Peedee walked ahead a few feet, letting the two walk in step with each other, talking quietly to themselves. Their reverie was broken by the sound of a junky little horn honking at them.

“Yo, lovebirds, how was the film?” Lapis yelled from her car, cackling at how red Connie and Steven turned. “Your mom called, said you’re coming to ours for the night. Bad time?”

Steven looked over at Connie, smiling sheepishly. “I guess that’s my ride.”

She frowned. “You can’t hang out a little longer?”

“It’s been too long since I’ve been to theirs. Besides, I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” He squeezed her hand tightly.

“Yeah, of course.” Connie forced a smile, before pulling him into a tight hug. “I’ll see you soon.” 

Steven said his good-byes to Connie and Peedee and hopped into the car with Lapis and Peridot, both grinning ear to ear. He felt a little weird about his good-bye, but their mood was infectious, and it wasn’t long before the three were planning their big night together.

“Now, you do have school tomorrow, so you probably shouldn’t stay up later than one or so. Or at least, not tell your mom if you do,” Peridot teased. “Man, how long has it been since we’ve had a night in like this?”

“When Steven woke up all confused,” Lapis laughed. “That was so weird, I’m glad it wasn’t anything serious.”

Steven shook his head slowly. That day felt like a lifetime ago. He had been here for several months at this point. What should have been a startling fact was instead received with a calm sort of neutrality. Steven didn’t want to admit it, but he hadn’t thought about home, his real home, in quite some time. He barely asked questions about anything anymore, save the occasional detail that he wouldn’t have known anyways. Normal no longer felt strange. He wasn’t sure when it had happened, but at some point, he had stopped playing the role of Steven and had simply started being himself.

“It’s been way too long,” he agreed, speaking more to himself than to anyone in the vehicle.

As the car rattled up to their apartment, Steven stared up at the apartment buildings, marvelling at them. When they went inside, he immediately went to the window, looking down into their courtyard. Somehow, the woman in the pantsuit was there again, squawking furiously at her phone. The world still spun on, it seemed.

“So, we thinking meep-morps?” Peridot bounced around excitedly, already holding several pens and pencils in her hands.

“Of course! I fell asleep last time, I owe you guys one.” Steven laughed and grabbed a blue pen and a piece of paper, idly doodling shapes as Peridot and Lapis fell into their own art, each one quietly discussing what they were doing from time to time. Steven looked over at Lapis, busy sketching a thumbnail of a woman who looked suspiciously like Pearl. Peridot had filled her sheet with concentric squares, carefully drawing little circles and triangles in seemingly random spots. He looked down at his own sheet and felt a strange lurch in his stomach. For the first time since he had arrived, he wasn’t just sated or happy or vaguely comfortable. He was completely content. Without warning, a few tears fell onto his paper.

“Whoa, is everything okay?” Lapis put a hand on his shoulder, bending down to try and catch his eyes. To her surprise, Steven was grinning, a huge smile splitting his face. 

“Never been better,” he choked out, before pulling the two women into a hug. “I love you guys.”

“Aw, we love you too.” Peridot’s voice came out a little husky as she wiped away a tear of her own. “Gah, why are you being so mushy?” Lapis laughed a little and she playfully shoved her. “Whatever, clod, you’re crying too.”

The rest of the evening passed by without any further events. Meep-morps were made, and a few episodes of  _ Camp Pining Hearts _ were watched. Eventually, Steven began to yawn, and he was set up on the couch. Lapis and Peridot quietly padded off to their bedroom, and after a few moments, Steven quietly pulled out his phone, the light illuminating his face in the dark. He went into his contacts and clicked on the most recent number, holding his breath as it rang.

“Steven? Is everything alright? Do you need me to come get you?”

“No, Mom, it’s fine. I just wanted to be able to say good-night to you.”

“Oh! Well, good-night Steven. I love you.” He could hear Pearl and Greg in the back, muffled, shouting their love.

“I love you too, Mom. Tell the others I said hi.”

“I will. Good-night!”

“Good-night, Mom.”

Steven tucked his phone into his pocket and closed his eyes, falling into a deep and easy sleep.

Steven’s eyes fluttered open slowly, his vision blurry as he blinked the sleep away. He looked up at the familiar rafters and stretched out, yawning loudly. He felt rather peaceful; it was one of his favorite things about waking up in the barn.

The barn.

Steven bolted to his feet, looking around him wildly. He was back in the barn, still dusty, still covered in weird meep-morps. He could hear two voices outside, laughing about something. Lapis and Peridot. Without bothering to put on shoes, he bolted out, nearly running headfirst into the two of them.

“Hey, Steven! How was the sleep?” Peridot waved at him in a friendly manner, her gemstone reflecting the morning sun. Steven stared dumbly at her before turning to look at Lapis, who was blue again.

“Uh--um. Fine. Great, I just--” Steven stumbled over his words before slapping his belly suddenly, like a drum. His palm smacked loudly against his gemstone. “Yeah. I’m fine, I think.”

The two looked at him curiously. “Did you sleep alright?” Lapis asked.

“I just. . . had a weird dream.” Steven turned to go back inside before turning back around. “I was here all last night, right? Did I talk in my sleep or sleepwalk or anything?”

Peridot shrugged. “Not that I saw.”

“And yesterday, we were going to make meep-morps, but I fell asleep instead, right?”

“Correct!” 

“Huh.” Steven slowly walked back into the barn, ignoring the confused looks of his friends. He sat back down on the couch, absent-mindedly rubbing his gemstone. Had he been dreaming? It had all felt very real. He looked around him at the barn. He supposed he should have felt excited, maybe. Instead, he felt dully confused, not quite aware of how he should react. As far as he knew, he had been gone for months; now he was back where he started, with nothing out of place. He began to laugh a little. He was home. His laughter turned giddy as he began to process more. He was home! He’d go back to the temple, and talk to Connie without glasses, and see Garnet and Amethyst and Pearl and--

Suddenly, Steven couldn’t breathe, and he was aware of hot tears streaming down his face. He’d see Garnet, Amethyst, and he’d see Pearl,  _ his  _ Pearl. But Rose was gone, had been gone for fifteen years. He began to sob, hiccuping as he struggled to catch his breath. Just the night before, he had been able to call his mom and hear her say good-night, that she loved him. As far as he knew, he would never be able to do that again. His mom’s absence had always registered in the back of his mind to some extent, and he did miss her, but it had always been something slightly out of grasp, something held onto by his dad and the Gems and shown to him secondhand. Now, he wept for the death of his mom, for a Rose that again could never exist as long as he did.

Slowly, painfully, Steven was able to catch his breath, and he wiped his tears from his face, sniffling. He looked up to see if Peridot or Lapis had noticed, and was grateful to see that they hadn’t. He slipped his hands into his pockets, thinking, when he froze.

With a trembling hand, he slowly pulled out a ticket stub for the latest Dogcopter movie. The one he had seen just the night before with Connie and Peedee. He turned it over and over again, looking at it with wide eyes. He hadn’t been dreaming. He had really been somewhere for several months. He had lived with his mom and dad and had found Pearl again. 

Slowly, he shrugged on his backpack and walked outside, going through the motions of hugging his friends good-bye and getting into his dad’s van. The drive breezed by. Beach City was small again. His dad dropped him off with a quick hug, and Steven was left staring up at the temple, a giant woman built into the side of a cliff.

As he walked up to his house, his mind raced. How had he disappeared? How had he come back? Was the barn’s couch a portal? Was there gem magic involved? Maybe Garnet had accidentally shared a strange Future Vision? Steven rubbed the ticket stub between his fingers, his eyes wide with disbelief and some fear. He’d go inside and talk to Pearl or Garnet, maybe ask Amethyst if--

He stared through the temple’s windows. Inside, Amethyst was sat on the counter, eyes closed defiantly as she argued with Pearl about something that was surely petty. Pearl had her arms on her hips and was rolling her eyes every opportunity she had as she scolded the shorter gem. Garnet watched, amused, before looking over at Steven and pulling aside her visor to wink at him.

Steven smiled to himself and stuffed the stub in his pocket again. Maybe it had been a portal, or a gem artifact. He realized he didn’t care. He didn’t need an explanation. Whatever had happened, he had been able to help someone who needed it; in this case, a family, hurting still after fifteen years. 

He pushed the door open and rushed inside to greet everyone, pulling them into a massive hug, making especially sure to pull Pearl close. Maybe he’d go back someday. Maybe he’d never see those people again. Whatever else happened, he had his family. It was all he needed.

Finally, Steven was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was sitting at work in October when the idea of Steven suddenly finding himself in a human AU struck me as interesting enough to write about. I quickly jotted down the first chapter, and figured it'd be a two or three chapter offshoot. Instead, it's become my most popular work, and it's all thanks to y'all. This has been such a fun journey, and you guys were always such supportive readers. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

**Author's Note:**

> From the question:  
What if Steven wandered into an AU?


End file.
